A Star Is Born
by PhoenixWriteAA
Summary: Alex finally gets a Pokémon to call her own. But with the Unova gym challenge to beat, an estranged brother to find, and some new friends to make, it's going to be one heck of a ride.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Alex woke as usual that morning, roused by the feeling of something bouncing on the end of her bed. She lifted her head and looked towards her feet, barely making out the figure there.

"Good morning, Spoink." She said groggily. The creature let out a joyous cry, before happily hopping out of the room. Still half awake, Alex pushed herself to a sitting position. She let her eyes adjust to the light streaming though her window for a moment before pushing herself to her feet. She let out a large yawn as she stared blankly out of the window. The view was the same as ever. Below her, tall buildings lined the bustling street. Beyond them, a vast river, crossed by a bridge that rose majestically from between the rows of office blocks before stretching across the water. On the far shore was a dense forest that stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions. Alex had stared at this scene each morning, desperately longing to visit the other shore.

"Alex!" A voice called from another room. "I hate to rush you, but I have to leave for work soon!"

"Coming!" Alex replied. She hastily opened her closet and threw together an outfit for the day. Her favourite brown shorts, the old jacket that she'd been wearing for years and those nice black boots she picked up while shopping a few weeks ago. She looked herself over quickly in the mirror before hurrying from her bedroom.

In the main room of the apartment, Alex's mother stood facing away from her, working busily at the kitchen countertop. The small creature that had woken Alex was bouncing happily at her feet, and another, much larger creature, stood silently in the corner of the room. "Mom?" Alex said. The woman at the counter turned around with a beaming smile. She rushed over to Alex, almost tripping over the large sofa that sat between them.

"There she is!" The woman said as she flung her arms around Alex. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks mom." Alex said as she awkwardly returned the hug.

"Spoink!" The small purple creature called out suddenly. Alex's mother let go of her and turned around quickly.

"Hmm?" She said. Her face dropped suddenly. "OH CRAP!" She yelled. Black smoke was billowing from the oven behind the creature. In an instant, she had leapt across the sofa and was frantically searching through the kitchen cupboards. "WHERE DID I LEAVE THE OVEN GLOVES!?" She screeched as she tore apart the shelves.

"Hariyama." Alex said calmly. The large Pokémon in the corner stirred. "Can you help out please?" Hariyama walked towards the oven, gently moving the now frantic woman out the of way. It casually reached into the over with its large hand and pulled out its contents, before plopping it onto the kitchen side. Alex's mother began to calm down.

"T-thanks." She said in a hoarse voice. Alex had moved to the windows, opening each wide. She leant out and took in a deep breath. "Sorry about that." Her mother called over awkwardly.

Alex walked over to the counter and looked at the smouldering remains in disappointment. "Cake?" She asked.

"Yes." Her mother replied with her head hung.

"You've done worse." Alex said reassuringly. "You're getting better. There wasn't any actual fire this time!"

"I knew I should've gone store bought. Thanks for the help, you two." She said looking towards the two Pokémon standing next to them. "And sorry for shouting." Spoink continued bouncing happily, and Hariyama walked silently over to resume its position in the corner. "I swear if it wasn't for you guys, I'd have burned the place down by now."

"Yeah you're probably right." Alex said. Her mother laughed.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She said jokingly. "Okay, I say we get rid of this, and I pick up a cake on the way home this morning. Sound good?"

"I think that's for the best." Alex said as she looked down at the remains of her mother's cake.

"Right." Her mother said as she clapped her hands together. "Let's get cleaning." Alex sighed as they began to clear up the mess spread across the kitchen.

* * *

Ten minutes later Alex and her mother were walking out of their apartment building and onto the busy street, followed closely by a still joyful Spoink. Alex's mother began rummaging through her bag, before pulling out a small ball. She threw it high into the air, and Hariyama appeared before them in a flash of light. Alex caught the ball as it fell back down.

"So, you two are with Alex today, okay?" The two creatures nodded. "You know I'd take them to work with me, but someone…" She glared at Hariyama. "…won't stay in her Poké Ball for more than five minutes."

"Yama!" The Pokémon replied indignantly. Alex laughed. Her mother sighed.

"Just keep an eye on them." She said. She looked towards Hariyama. "And you make sure Alex doesn't get into trouble." Hariyama huffed.

"Mom, I'm sixteen now. I don't need her to protect me." Hariyama moved closer and stood by her side.

"I don't think you have a choice." Her mother said, laughing. She walked over to Alex. "Well, I really need to get going." She hugged Alex, before quickly turning and hurrying down the street. "Have a nice day dear!" She called as she disappeared into the crowd.

"I will!" Alex called after her. She felt a sudden vibration in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out her phone. "Crap." She said. A new message had popped up on the screen.

"It's starting in like 5 minutes." The message said.

"Crap!" Alex said again, louder. "You two, we need to move!" She called to the two Pokémon as she began to sprint down the street. The creatures quickly followed, Spoink bouncing frantically and Hariyama charging, shaking the ground with each step. "Excuse me!" She yelled as she dodged between the people on the street. Spoink sprang effortlessly over them, while Hariyama slowed and shuffled awkwardly through any gaps it could find. Alex turned around and saw it struggling. She twisted and began walking backwards. "Come on!" She called. "We're already going to miss the sta-" Her words were cut short as she hit something and fell to the ground.

"Yama!" The large creature called out in alarm as it began to gently move people out of the way. It rushed towards her, before swiftly picking her up and planting her on her feet.

"I'm fine." Alex said as she came to her senses. "What did I…?" She looked around to see what she had hit. A tall man in a green shirt was laying on the floor next to her, his long, curling brown hair sloppily covering his face. "Oh crap!" Alex yelled as she rushed over to him. She knelt next to him. "Are you okay?!" The man pushed himself to a sitting position.

"Uh-huh. I think so." He said as he pushed his hair away from his face. He locked eyes with Alex and sighed. "I should have known it would be you."

"Oh." Alex said awkwardly. "Hi Burgh. Sorry about that."

"We need to stop bumping into each other like this." He pushed himself to his feet. "Literally."

"I know, I know." Alex replied. She suddenly noticed a large bump on Burgh's forehead. "Oh my gosh!" She yelled. "Are you okay?" Burgh replied with a confused look. Alex pointed at the bump.

"Oh that!" Burgh said, rubbing the bruise. "That wasn't you, I got that a few days ago." He laughed. "We had a really intense battle at the gym the other day. One stray Energy Ball hit the battlefield and… BAM!" Alex jumped. "I took a rock to the head." He laughed again. "Ironic isn't it? I work my team around a weakness to Rock, and here I am getting hurt by one!"

"You really should get that checked out." Alex said with concern in her voice.

"It's fine." Burgh replied. "You should see what happened to the other guy." He laughed yet again and then paused. "He wiped the floor with me."

"Yikes." Alex said. "Were your Pokémon okay?"

"Just a few scorch marks." He replied casually. "Nothing a few berries couldn't fix. By the way…" He said as he brushed the dirt off his shirt. "…When am I going to get to fight you, huh? Every other kid around here your age has already taken me on and won."

"I know." Alex said. "Dylan won't let me hear the end of it since he beat you."

"Ah, I still remember that match." Burgh replied. "That kid has some serious skill."

"I know, his parents were so proud of him. I'm kinda proud of him as well. Crap!" She yelled suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Burgh said in surprise.

"Dylan! He's waiting for me. I gotta go!" She said as she began to run down the street again, followed closely by her Pokémon companions. "It was nice to see you!" She yelled as she vanished into the crowd.

"Likewise!" He yelled back. He sighed and shook his head. "That girl." He said to himself before turning and continuing his stroll down the street.

* * *

Alex was now sprinting down a small alleyway that led off from the main road. The two Pokémon were still lagging quite a distance behind them. A voice somewhere further down the alley suddenly yelled. "Now! Shadow Ball!" A few seconds later, a large boom echoed through the alley, followed by the cheers of a crowd. Alex sped up, knowing she was missing the action. The alley began to grow brighter, as Alex suddenly broke out into a clearing. Large buildings surrounded it on all sides. In the centre, a large dusty battlefield stood, its edges lines by many people, most around Alex's age. Alex ran towards a gap in the crowd. In the area, two trainers stood. One, a young man with fiery red hair stood, opposite him, a young woman with long, blonde hair stood laughing. Between them, a Pokémon was laying on the floor. Another, smaller Pokémon was flying proudly around the woman.

"Come back, Blitzle!" The boy yelled. The creature quickly vanished into the Poké Ball the boy held. He pushed it into his pocket, before swiftly pulling out another. He looked down at it. "Alright, pal, it's all down to you." He swung his arm back before throwing the ball across the battlefield. In burst open, and a small, rabbit-like Pokémon appeared in a shower of light. The creature began bouncing around, as its opponent began to fly quickly towards it.

"Woobat! Heart Stamp, now!" The woman called out. Woobat's heart shaped nose began to glow as it closed in on the boy's Pokémon. The boy smirked suddenly.

"Buneary. Fake Out." He said calmly. In an instant, Buneary had leapt forwards. As it reached Woobat, it clapped its paws together suddenly. A small shockwave sent its foe flying backwards. "Dizzy Punch!" Its trainer called. When Buneary reached the ground it launched itself forcefully towards its opponent. The fuzz at the tips of its ears began to glow.

"Woobat! Get out of the way!" The woman called in desperation. It continued to fall slowly towards the ground. "Woobat!" The woman was growing more desperate. "MOVE!" She screeched. By now Buneary was above Woobat. It curled up its ears, before shooting them back up suddenly, sending Woobat hurtling towards the ground below. It landed with a thud as its trainer screeched incoherently. The boy laughed heartily.

"Not so cool now are you!?" He yelled. The woman pulled out a Poké Ball and growled as she called back her Pokémon.

"That's it." She put the ball back and pulled out another. "You're going down." She threw the ball high into the air. When it opened, a large green Pokémon emerged. "Simisage." She said as it landed, barely containing her anger. "Brick Break, and don't stop until you get a hit." Simisage nodded and began to run towards Buneary. It began to swing its arm wildly as it approached.

"Buneary!" The boy yelled. "Quick Attack." The Pokémon effortlessly flew through Simisage's attack, landing a kick on its chest. Simisage stumbled.

"SIMISAGE!" The woman screeched. "JUST HIT IT ALREADY!" Simisage began swinging its arms once again.

"What's the matter Veronica?" The boy said with a smirk. "Losing your cool?" The woman growled again.

"Neary!" The Pokémon called out suddenly. Simisage had landed a hit, and sent it flying backwards. Veronica grinned at the sight of this.

"Iron Tail." She said coldly. Simisage's tail was cloaked in a grey light. It sprinted forwards, hitting Buneary who was still recovering, sending it flying towards its trainer. Buneary landed at his feet. It struggled for a while to get up, but eventually gave in and fell to the floor. At this, the crowd began cheering loudly.

"Buneary." The boy said as he bent down next to his partner. "You did a great job. Have a rest." He called it back into its ball. The crowd began to run towards Veronica, shouting praises and congratulations, leaving the boy alone on his side of the battlefield. Alex walked over to him, accompanied by Hariyama and Spoink, who had caught up with her at some point during the battle.

"You did good, Dylan." She said as she neared him. Dylan sighed.

"Not good enough." He said. He suddenly jumped back to his feet, and turned to Alex, holding his fingers about an inch apart. "This close. I was this close." He turned to face the crowd opposite him. "That damn Simisage." He stuffed Buneary's ball back into his pocket. "It always manages to get the upper hand somehow." Simisage stood at the far side of the battlefield, smirking in their direction. Dylan noticed and stood up. "There's no need to be snarky about it!" He yelled at the Pokémon. The creature continued smirking as it turned to join its trainer.

"Don't let it get you riled up." Alex patted him on the back. "Come on. Let's get out of here. You guys too." She said to the creatures standing next to them.

"Fine." Dylan said as he reluctantly began to follow Alex down an alleyway. "Next time though, she's going down!" His yell echoed as they disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

"She burnt it again?" Dylan asked.

"Yep. She does it every year." Alex replied. "At this point it's a family tradition!" The pair laughed. They were stood in a large room surrounded by other trainers their age. Some was chatting, but most were fixated on a large screen that was broadcasting a battle. Alex and Dylan were stood by a large window looking out at the street outside. As they talked, the woman from earlier appeared outside, accompanied by two other people. One was a young man, slightly older than her, wearing the same leather jacket she was. The other was a young woman, who looked virtually identically to her, apart from having darker skin and hair. Veronica clocked Dylan as she walked past. She stared angrily at him for several seconds, before scoffing, turning her head and hurrying away down the street, her posse trailing behind her. Alex and Dylan laughed loudly at this. "If looks could kill…" Alex said. "You really got her mad today." She smiled widely. "I'm so proud!"

Dylan smirked. "I honestly thought she was gonna have an aneurism at some point back there. I've never seen her so mad! If I ever beat her, I'm sure she'll explode."

"She has issues." Alex said. Dylan nodded in agreement.

"Dylan!" A voice called from across the room. It was a young woman with pink hair and a sweet smile on her face. They turned to face her. "Your Pokémon are all healed up."

"Nice!" Dylan said as he rushed over to the counter. The lady slid a tray with both of his Poké Balls across the counter to him. "Thank you so much." He said as he stuffed them into his bag. "Let's get going!" He grabbed Alex by the hand and began to hurry towards the door. "You didn't get to see me beat Veronica, but I still have another surprise for you." They were out of the door before Alex had time to protest. He dragged her past Spoink and Hariyama, who had been waiting outside. She called to them to follow as she continued to struggle to match Dylan's pace. The creatures were barely able to keep up with the pair as they began to push their way through the crowd in the bustling street.

* * *

"Where are we going?!" Alex shouted as she struggled to keep up with Dylan.

"You'll see!" He shouted back as they darted between the masses of people on the street. "Keep up!" They continued running until the suddenly broke out of the crowd and entered a large open space. Dylan stumbled as he broke free from the crowd, causing him to fall face first into the grass.

"Dylan!" Alex called as she reached him. "You okay?" Dylan gave a muffled reply accompanied by a feeble thumbs-up. He rolled over onto his back.

"We're here." He said breathlessly. Alex reached her arm down, and he grabbed her hand. She pulled him to his feet. "Thanks." He said as he brushed the dirt off his shirt. "I am okay!" He announced proudly. "Come on then." He strolled over to a nearby tree and sat at its base. Alex followed. It was then that Spoink and Hariyama caught up with them.

"You two can go and play if you want." She called to them. Spoink yelled with joy and began to spring wildly about the park. Hariyama silently walked over to another tree, sat at its base and closed its eyes for a rest. "That should keep them occupied for a while. So?" She said as she sat beside Dylan. "What's the surprise?"

"Is that really all you care about?" Dylan replied. "I, your best friend, take time out of my busy schedule to spend time with you on your birthday, and this is how you treat me?" He said in mock outrage. "Hark! Do you hear that!?" He clutched his chest suddenly. "Tis the sound of my heart breaking!"

Alex laughed. "Shut up." She said as she elbowed him playfully. "You know I'm happy just having you as a friend."

"So you don't want the present then?"

"Of course I want the damned present, that's why I have you as a friend." The pair chuckled.

"Alright, if you're gonna get pushy…" Dylan said as he rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a small box, carefully wrapped with a ribbon.

"Very fancy." Alex said as Dylan handed it to her. She untied the ribbon and let it fall on her lap. She slid the lid off and placed it on the floor next to her. "What's this? Oh, Dylan…" She said as she pulled out a pendant from the box. "Dylan, this is beautiful!" She held it in her hands and stared at it in awe. It was a sparkling silver, and it was shaped like a large tear. There was a large hole in it, clearly made for something to be slotted in.

"I'm sorry it's not complete." Dylan said. "_Technically, _it's a two-part present. Only problem is I don't have the other half, your mom does."

"Wait." Alex said suddenly. "Is this made for a Key Stone?"

"Well yeah. I know we're both setting off soon, so I thought I'd put us on even ground."

"What do you mean?"

Dylan smiled widely and pulled back the long hair covering his right ear. Underneath was a gold earring, with a small round stone embedded in it. "_This_ is what I mean!"

"No way!" Alex leaned in close to the earring. "Where the heck did you get a Key Stone?"

Dylan hesitated before speaking. "Your mom gave it to me. She has another one for you. We agreed that she'd get the stone and I'd get the necklace."

"That's really sweet of both of you. But where did _she _get them?"

"Your brother gave them to her." Dylan said.

"…Damien got these?" Alex said softly. "How did she get in contact with him?"

"He came to her, actually. He said he wanted to do something for you this year."

Alex laughed loudly. "So he's suddenly interested in our family again is he? Typical." She huffed. "I haven't seen him and months and he can't even be bothered to give the present to me himself!?" She looked over Dylan who was cowering slightly. "Sorry. I get kinda worked up whenever he gets mentioned."

"I've noticed." Dylan said with an awkward laugh. "After he showed up your mom called my mom, and we arranged it from there." He paused. "I've spoiled the surprise, haven't I?"

"Don't worry about it. I'd have figured it out anyway." She put the pendant back into the box and slid the lid back into place. "Besides, we should probably head back to mine soon. Mom'll be expecting me by now."

"I'll come with you." Dylan said as he pushed himself to his feet. Besides, there's another surprise for you waiting. I can't wait to see your face!" He said as he began to run back towards the bustling streets.

"Dylan!" Alex shouted as she stood up. "Dylan! At least wait for me!" She called as she began to hurry after him. "Spoink! Hariyama! We're leaving!" She shouted. Spoink instantly began hopping after her. Hariyama jumped to its feet and began to slowly follow. It huffed when it saw the rest of the group disappear into the crowd, knowing it would have to walk home alone.

* * *

Alex had barely caught up to Dylan by the time he was hurrying down the corridor leading to her apartment door.

"814…815…" Dylan muttered as he ran through the corridor, glancing at the number on each door. "816!" He shouted triumphantly as he reached Alex's. He leaned against the door with a smirk on his face. "I win." He said breathlessly.

Alex staggered up to him and hunched over. "Okay." She said between gasps for air. "You win. But only because I had to stop and wait for Hariyama." She leaned against the door, pulling Hariyama's Pokéball out of her pocket. "This is your fault." She said jokingly.

"Wait, where's Spoink?" Dylan asked. As if on cue, Spoink appeared from the door to the stairwell, bouncing along feebly.

"You know what? Next time we should take the elevator. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Dylan replied as Spoink arrived at their feet, still exhausted. The pair suddenly yelled as they felt the door behind them start to move. They pushed themselves forward just as the door swung open.

"Ah, I thought I heard you two." Alex's mother said as she peeked around the door. Spoink bounced past her, heading directly towards the pile of blankets on the floor that served as its bed. It landed on it and closed its eyes. Alex's mother turned to look at the creature who was still hopping slightly. "Is he tired?" She asked.

"You could say that." Alex said, still panting. "Here." She said, handing Hariyama's ball to her mother. As it entered her hand, it burst open, and Hariyama soon appeared next to her.

"You really couldn't wait a few more seconds?" The Pokémon ignored her and wandered over to the corner where it stood silently. "She's just as temperamental as your brother." She said with a laugh. She turned to Alex. "Well are you two coming in or not?" She began to open the door wider. "Hang on. Alex, cover your eyes.

Alex glanced at Dylan for a moment. "Of course, I'd hate to ruin the surprise."

"I said I was sorry." Dylan whispered with a frown.

"I'm joking, don't worry about it." She closed her eyes and held out her arm to him. "Just make sure I don't bump into anything."

"I promise nothing." He said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her clumsily through the door. Once they had entered, her mother took over. She guided Alex by the shoulders to the coffee table that sat in the centre of their living room. She sat her down.

"Okay, you can open your eyes." She said as she sat next to her daughter. As Alex opened her eyes, she saw a large black box laid out on the table. As she reached forward to open it, her mother leaned back and whispered to Dylan. "Did you already give her the…"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." He replied as he sat on an empty chair. Alex lifted the lid off the box and peeked over the rim. Inside were two orbs. One was small, filled with several colours, with a small black shape in the middle. The second was larger, with the same shape in the middle, except coloured red, orange and yellow. Alex reached in and pulled out the smaller orb.

"Go on then." Dylan said. "See if it fits." Alex nodded and reached into her bag, pulling out the small box from earlier. She took the pendant out and carefully slotted in the orb. Alex smiled widely.

"Perfect fit." She said as she put the pendant around her neck, tucking it underneath her shirt. "What's the other one for?" She said looking at the large orb, which still sat in the box.

"Well, technically that's not for you." Her mother replied, grinning widely. "Look closer." Alex leaned back towards the box, and reached inside, pulling out the larger orb. She set it down next to the box and reached in one again. As her hand touched the bottom, it gave way slightly. She pushed harder, causing the bottom to tilt slightly. She reached her other arm in, and pulled the bottom, which came out of the box. She put that to the side as well, before peeking into the box again. With the false bottom gone, Alex could now see a small Pokéball sat in the very bottom box. Alex pulled it out. She held it in her palm and stared at it for a moment.

"Is this from Damien?" She asked her mother.

"Yes. He said it was about time you started out on your journey." She replied. "But don't feel any pressure, you don't have to do it just because he did."

"No." Alex replied. "No. I want to go on a journey too." She pressed the button in the centre of the ball, causing it to suddenly grow much larger. She began to smile. "So, he does still care." She said under her breath.

"Let it out then!" Dylan exclaimed as he ran to sit next to her on the sofa. "I wanna see what he caught you!" Alex nodded. She pressed the button again. The ball split open, sending a beam of white light shooting upwards. The beam curved back down towards the table, where the light began to gather. As the beam disappeared, the ball of light on the table vanished into a flurry of sparkles. A small Pokémon now stood in its place. A large layer of wool hid most of its body, with only its legs, tail and head sticking out from its cloud-like torso. It tilted its head up and locked eyes with Alex. They stared at each other silently for a moment.

"Umm… Hi there." Alex said as she raised her hand unsteadily to pet her new companion. It responded by rubbing its head affectionate against her hand. Alex smiled widely.

"I think he likes you." Her mother chimed. The creature suddenly leaped into Alex lap and curled itself up. Her smile widened further.

"I think he _really _likes you." Dylan added as he leaned in closer. "Y'know, it's not often you see a Mareep around here. Your brother must have gone halfway across the region to find him." Alex wasn't listening, she was to busy petting the Pokémon in her lap.

"He's adorable." She said as she lifted Mareep up and held him tight to her chest. "You and me…" She said as she looked into its eyes. "...are gonna go places." She turned to Dylan. "So, when are we leaving?"

"What?"

"Don't you remember? That promise we made. We agreed that when we both had a Pokémon, we'd go and explore the other side of the river." She nodded towards the large forest that sat across the river that was visible from the window.

"So soon?" Her mother said with concern.

"Well, not right away of course." Alex replied. She looked back down at Mareep who was still staring up at her. "But a few days from now, it's gonna happen. We're gonna get out there and see the world!" She exclaimed as she hugged the Pokémon tightly.

"Well then." Alex mother chimed. "Can't go adventuring on an empty stomach!" She walked over to the kitchen counter, where a large box sat. She slid off the lid and tilted it towards Alex. Inside was a simple white cake, with a small model of candle-like Pokémon sat on top, waiting to be lit. She took out a matchbox, and soon lit the candle. She began singing, soon joined by Dylan, who sang far too loudly, much to the dismay of Hariyama who was attempting to nap in the corner.

* * *

Alex sat on her bed, gently stroking Mareep who lay asleep next to her. She stared blankly at the now dark landscape beyond her bedroom window. "You can me are heading over there in a few days." She said quietly as she looked lovingly at the creature beside her. "Damien really went out of his way to find you, didn't he? You, my friend, are proof positive he's not too far gone." She sighed. "I really should get in touch to thank him." She paused for a moment. "_If _I can get in touch with him. I suppose you didn't get to know him too well, but he can be hard to get along with, and even harder to find." She looked down at Mareep again, who was still sleeping soundly. She laughed quietly to herself. "You're right, I need to get some sleep." She carefully tucked herself under the cover, being careful not to disturb Mareep. She finally managed to bury herself under the sheets. "Goodnight, Mareep." She whispered as she let herself drift off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Movin' Right Along

"Okay Buneary, this is just a practice match. Try not to go overboard, okay?" Dylan was on his knees talking to his companion. Buneary nodded in understanding and began to hop happily onto the battlefield. It was the small battlefield that sat behind the Pokémon centre, which was only used for small scale battles. Alex stood opposite him, giving reassurance to the Pokémon stood at her feet.

"Alright Mareep, this is your moment." she bent down to Mareep's eye level. "You just go out there and do your best. Got it?" The Pokémon nodded, turned, and began to walk out onto the battlefield. A few trainers gathered around the field as the Pokémon took their places.

"Ready?!" Dylan called.

"Always!" Alex replied confidently.

"Okay then! You two get the first move!"

"Alright then! Mareep! Thunder Shock!" she called to her Pokémon. The small orb at the tip of Mareep's tail suddenly began to glow a bright yellow. The glow soon spread and covered its whole body. As the Pokémon cried out, a small bolt of electricity shot out from its body towards Buneary. It hit, shocking Buneary, who stumbled backwards slightly.

"Nice one!" Dylan called to Mareep. "You okay Buneary?" His partner steadied itself and nodded to him confidently. "Okay then, use Quick Attack!" Buneary suddenly sprung forward and ran quickly towards Mareep.

"Mareep! Try to dodge." Alex called out. Mareep held its ground as Buneary approached. One it was close enough, Mareep rolled quickly to the side, springing itself back to its feet as Buneary rushed past. "Now use Tackle." Alex called quickly as Buneary struggled to slow down. In an instant, Mareep had tackled Buneary from behind, sending flying forward, where it landed with a thud.

"Buneary!" its trainer called from across the battlefield. "You okay?"

"Neary!" the Pokémon called back as it pushed itself to its feet.

"Not too shabby." Dylan called to Alex. "But stop this! Dizzy Punch!" The tips of Buneary's ear began to glow. As it ran towards Mareep, it curled up its ears, getting ready to deal a heavy blow.

"Mareep! Look out!" Mareep jumped backwards, but Buneary continued to approach. Buneary jumped forward, quickly uncurling one of its ears. Buneary barely dodged the blow, only to be hit but the second ear as it extended. Mareep stumbled backwards. "Mareep, are you good?" Alex called. Mareep began to stagger slightly. "Oh dear." Alex said quietly.

"Alright Buneary, now use Jump Kick!" Dylan called, seizing the opportunity. Buneary suddenly sprang high into the air, before beginning to speed back towards the ground with its leg outstretched.

"Mareep!" Alex called to the still confused Pokémon. "Mareep! Please!" she called desperately. Buneary was closing in. "Come one Mareep! Pull yourself together!" Alex's scream suddenly snapped Mareep back to reality. It looked up, and swiftly rolled to the side. Buneary crashed to the ground. "Yes! Now, use Thunder Shock." Mareep sent another bolt flying towards Buneary, hitting it while it was still trying to stand back up. Buneary let out a small cry before collapsing. There was silence for a few moments, before the gathered trainers broke into polite applause. "We won?" Alex said in shock. "We won!" She yelled a second later. She began to run towards Mareep, who in turn began to run towards her. Mareep leaped into Alex's arms, who began to hug it tightly. "We did it! We won! I'm so proud of you!" Mareep replied with a joyous cry.

"You okay, buddy?" Dylan had walked over to his partner, who was still lying on the floor. It responded with a feeble reply. He bent down and picked it up in his arms. "You did good. Now let's get you inside." He walked over to Alex. "Congrats." He said.

"Thanks." she replied. "But it's not me you should be congratulating." she said, looking down at Mareep. "And you two were great as well. Is Buneary okay?"

"Nothing a bit of rest won't fix. Shall we take these two inside?"

"That's a good idea." Alex replied. The pair continued praising each other as they left the battlefield and headed inside.

* * *

"I'm honestly amazed." Dylan said to Alex. "You two are going places with skill like that."

"Oh, stop." Alex said, blushing slightly. "It was just beginners' luck." The pair were sat on one of the many large sofas scattered about the Pokémon Centre. Opposite them, a large TV was showing an intense Pokémon battle. The pair were both to engrossed in their conversation to watch. "So, about tomorrow." Alex said, changing the subject. "What time were you thinking of leaving?"

"Probably best we leave sometime in the morning. My parents said I'm only allowed to stay out there for one night. I want to make the most of it."

"That sounds good. Do you want to stick together? Or shall we split up and explore a bit?"

"I say we stick together for the first few hours, and then split up. We could even split up overnight if you really wanna get dangerous." He said with a dark smile.

"Don't be stupid, it's a forest, it's not that dangerous. If we stay close enough to the main road, we shouldn't run into anything too bad. Plus, this is my way to prove to my mom that I can survive out there on my own. If I come back hurt, I don't think she'll ever let me leave the house again." She chuckled.

"Don't worry. You'll have Mareep to keep you safe, won't you?"

"Of course, but I don't think he'll be able to do much against horde of enraged Vigoroth charging towards us."

"I've told you before, there's not any enraged Vigoroth near that area." he paused for a moment. "There might be a mildly annoyed Murkrow or two, but that's about it." The pair chuckled. "Hang on." Dylan said, his attention suddenly drawn to the TV. "Isn't that Damien?"

"What?" Alex said.

"There, look." he nodded towards the screen. Alex stared at the screen for a moment until she spotted the small figure at one end of the battlefield. It was hard to make out clearly, but she could tell it was a tall man with the same brown hair as her and her mother. He was wearing a long dark cape, obscuring most of his body. As the feed switched to a different camera, she was able to make out his face. She saw a familiar set of eyes. They were a cold grey, with no emotion behind them.

"That's him." Alex said suddenly. "He's changed a bit, but I'd know those eyes anywhere." Dylan shifted awkwardly.

"Shall I go ask if we can change the channel?" He asked.

"No." Alex replied firmly. "I want to watch." She squinted at the screen. "Who's that he's fighting?" She pointed at another figure stood opposite him. Dylan leaned in closer to the screen.

"Caitlin maybe?" the camera suddenly shifted to focus on the figure. It was a young woman, with masses of blonde hair that seemed to float around her. "Definitely Cailtin." Dylan said with a nod. The pair now focused their attention on the two Pokémon that were battling fiercely between them. One was a large grey creature, with a flat body and four large legs jutting out from its sides. The other was much smaller. A slender black creature with a pain of large horns protruding from its head.

"So, he's taking those guys on already, huh?" Alex said. "That would explain why he couldn't stay for my birthday." she scoffed. "Nice to see he has his priorities straight." she said bitterly. As she spoke, the larger Pokémon shot forward suddenly, flying towards its opponent with its front two legs flailing wildly. Damien seemed to issue a command, and the smaller Pokémon dodged effortlessly by leaping over its foe. As it landed, it turned and sent a jet of flames spewing from its mouth towards the other creature, who turned just in time to see the flames as it was scorched by them. A large cloud of smoke soon surrounded it. Suddenly, Caitlin called out a command, and the Pokémon came charging out of the smoke, with one of its legs glowing brightly. Damien once again issued a command, but his partner could not react in time. It was struck by a mighty blow and sent flying across the battlefield, skidding slightly as it landed.

"Ouch." Dylan said. "I don't think he's getting up from that."

"He will." Alex replied. "His Pokémon are stupidly strong." As she spoke, the creature slowly pushed itself back onto its feet. "Told you." Damien shouted another command, and his Pokémon suddenly rushed towards it opponent, clamping its jaw onto one of its legs. The larger creature began shaking its leg desperately to get it off, but to no avail. With one last command, Damien's Pokémon released a stream of dark energy from its mouth, completely overwhelming its opponent. The large creature stopped struggling and collapsed to the floor.

"Damn." Dylan said in amazement. "Snarl at such close range? Risky move."

"That's how he fights." Alex replied. "He'll try anything if he thinks it'll get him the win." She turned to Dylan. "I was there for his first ever gym battle. In fact, he used that same Houndoom." she said nodding towards the screen. "Of course, back then it was still just a little Houndour. He got it to clamp onto Burgh's Heracross. Poor thing didn't stand a chance after that." She was silent for a few moments. "It kinda scared me honestly. The way he acted during that battle; I'd never heard him talk that way before." She looked away from Dylan and began staring at the floor. "He was normally so relaxed and gentle, but the second he touched that battlefield, he was a different person. And he's been like that ever since, really." She looked back up to Dylan, who looked concerned. Alex shook her head. "Sorry about that, you really don't need to hear all of that. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"No. No it's fine." Dylan replied. "Look." he said after a pause. "I know things are difficult right now between you and him, but if you do ever need to talk about it, I'm here." Alex smiled sweetly.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. But right now, I want to focus on getting to be just a strong as he is. Or maybe even stronger." She said with a smirk.

"As if." A harsh voice said from behind them. The pair turned around quickly. Veronica stood behind them, with her two 'friends' stood either side of her. "The pair of you are still horridly weak compared to just about every other trainer in the city."

"Nice to see you too, Veronica." Dylan said sarcastically. "Jason." he said nodding to the boy. "And hello to you, Heather." he said to the other girl. He quickly glanced at their outfits. All three were dressed in dark clothes, and all wearing identical leather jackets. "Still trying out that whole 'gang' thing, are we?"

"Shut up." Veronica snapped. She leaned in towards Dylan. "Y'know, we were watching that little battle you two had earlier, and I have to say it was kinda sad. Watching that poor Buneary get beaten by a completely unexperienced trainer was awfully painful to watch."

"Why don't you go bother someone else for a change?" Alex said.

"She wasn't speaking to you." Jason sneered. Veronica held up her hand.

"Jason. I'm speaking." she said coldly. She turned back to Dylan. "So, when was the last time you actually won a battle, huh?"

"I beat Burgh a few days ago." he replied.

"That was your first badge, pal. Everyone knows gym leaders go easy on you if it's your first time."

"Did you come here to make a point or just to make me feel bad about myself?" Dylan asked. "Because if it's the latter, I'm perfectly capable of doing that by myself." Veronica grunted.

"Look, I just came to say that it's clear you aren't the best trainer. I just want to help you."

"Really?" Dylan said. "A few days ago, you wanted to kill me because I knocked out your Woobat. And suddenly you want to help me?"

"People can change, you know." the other girl behind Veronica joined in. Veronica turned and scowled at her.

"Heather, please." Heather stopped talking and took a few steps backwards. "Dylan, I just want to say that there's a group of people who can help your get stronger. But you don't seem interested." She turned and began to walk away. "If you change your mind and actually _want_ to get stronger, come and find me."

"You didn't tell them where to find you…" Heather said meekly as Veronica passed her.

"Then they'll have to look around, won't they?" she snapped in response. She didn't say another word as she walked briskly out of the door. Her 'friends' looked at each other a moment, before following her out. Alex and Dylan stared at each other for a few moments.

"What was that about?" Alex finally asked.

"About two minutes of our lives we won't be getting back."

"She came over here and insulted you, and then tried to recruit you. Do you have any idea what she was talking about?"

"Not a clue." Dylan replied.

"You gonna find her and ask?"

"Not a chance. Last time I followed up on a mysterious invitation I ended up with seventeen Magikarp I didn't know what to do with." Alex laughed loudly.

"Now _that_ was a crazy weekend."

"Excuse me." a polite voice called from behind them. They turned around to see the nurse approaching them. "These two are feeling much better now." As she spoke, Mareep and Buneary appeared from behind her, and each ran excitedly to their trainers.

"Hey buddy!" Dylan said as his partner hopped into his lap. "Thanks." he said to the nurse, who responded with a polite nod before walking away. "Alright, now you two are feeling better, we should get home and get packing."

"Agreed." Alex said as she stood up. "Let's head out." she said to Mareep. Dylan stood up as well and the pair made for the exit.

"Wow, I didn't realise how late it was getting." Dylan noted and the walked out onto the street that was now cloaked in twilight.

"Yeah, we should both probably be getting back." Alex said. "So, Thumb Pier tomorrow at about ten?"

"Sound like a plan to me. I'll see you tomorrow then." he said as he walked away.

"See ya." Alex replied with a wave as she walked in the opposite direction, flashing a quick smile as she turned a corner and disappeared.

* * *

Alex stood right on the edge of the pier, looking out across the water. Mareep stood by her side, staring down at its reflection in the water below. Alex was smiling widely as her hair fluttered in the wind. "This is really nice." she said to her partner. "We really should come down here more often." She suddenly heard footsteps behind her. "Would you relax?" She said, turning to her mother who was pacing restlessly a few steps away from her.

"How can I relax?" she replied. "My only daughter's heading off into a perilous forest, leaving her poor mother here all on her own."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Alex said as she walked over to her. "It's only one night, I'll be fine. Plus, you've got those two to keep you company." She nodded towards Spoink and Hariyama who were further along the pier. Hariyama sat on the edge, its legs dangling just above the surface of the water. Spoink was bouncing happily across the length of the pier, racing any water Pokémon it spotted swimming alongside the pier.

"Those two aren't exactly the best for conversation. Promise you'll call me before you go to sleep?"

"Of course, mom. Don't worry, Dylan's checked every source he could find and there aren't any particularly dangerous Pokémon in the area. I'm probably more likely to get hurt by a falling branch or something."

"You're really not making me feel any better." her mother said with concern. "I'm going to check your bag one more time." She said as she hurried over to the large backpack that was sat a few feet away from them.

"Please don't put anything else in there." she said with a sigh. "That thing weighs just as much as me at this point."

"You never know what you're going to need."

"Do you honestly expect me to carry my own body weight across the entire region." Her mother was rummaging through the bag.

"Of course not. This is just practice, and next time you can just leave behind anything you didn't use. But for now, it's both helpful and excellent for your core." she said as she zipped the backpack tightly shut. She and Alex laughed. They were quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "So, when is Dylan supposed to be getting here?" Alex checked her watch.

"Right about now." she said. She turned to look at the place where the pier met the rest of the city and started scanning the crowd. Her attention was suddenly caught by a figure breaking from the crowd and heading down a small flight of steps, which led to a small opening in the wall just below the street. "Someone's going into the sewers?" Alex said without thinking.

"What?" her mother replied as she hoisted the backpack off the floor.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." Alex said. Her attention was drawn away from the figure as she caught sight of Dylan, running along the pier towards her. Behind him Buneary, hopping along happily. His Blitzle soon emerged from the crowd as well, with small bags attached to its sides.

"Ahoy there!" he called as he neared Alex.

"Hey." She replied as she stepped forward to meet him. As they pair met, they gave each other a high-five. Dylan glanced behind Alex and saw Mareep approaching. "And how is my little Mareep doing today?" he said as he bent to greet it. Mareep continued walking past him and headed towards the Pokémon behind him. "Rude." he said as he straightened himself. His and Alex Pokémon greeted each other happily. As they did, two more figures appeared at the end of the pier. One was a very large man, and the other was a very slight woman. Both had the same fiery red hair as Dylan.

"Dylan, honey!" the woman called as she approached. "You forgot Mimey!" she shouted as she waved a small toy in the air.

"Mom!" Dylan replied as he tried to cover Alex's eyes. "I told you, I don't need him anymore."

"But Dylan, look at his little face!" she said as she neared him. She held it up to him. It was a toy of a small pink Pokémon, with a large grin fixed on its face. "You can't leave him behind." She pushed it into his hands, where it laid limply.

"Mom, I'm old enough to survive one night without him. But if you insist. Blitzle!" His Pokémon ran over to him. Dylan opened one of its pouches and shoved the doll in. "Happy now?"

"Now, now, there's no need to be like that." The large man said. "Your mother is just trying to make you feel comfortable."

"I know, I know. Sorry."

Alex mother suddenly joined the group with a sigh. "Kids." The adults all shared a chuckle as Alex and Dylan began to talk amongst themselves.

"They have to grow up sometimes I suppose." the man said. He noticed that large backpack that Alex's mother was still holding. "Damn Trace, how much stuff you got in there?"

"Just enough to get her through the night."

"How long are the nights where you come from?" the woman added as she stared dumbfounded at the bag.

"I'm her mother, I'm supposed to be overly prepared for everything. Out of anyone you two must get that. Come on, Jen, you must be worried about Dylan a bit at least."

"Of course I am." the woman replied. "But I trust him. I think he's old enough and mature enough to handle himself now. See those?" She said pointing to the small bags attached to Blitzle. "He made those himself." Alex mother looked down at the backpack.

"I suppose having a Pokémon would help with carrying things."

"Even a Mudsdale would struggle with that thing." the man said before laughing heartily.

"Don't be silly, she can manage this. Alex! Catch!" she yelled as she began to swing the backpack. Alex turned around as she threw it. It flew briefly before landing in her arms. Alex stumbled backwards slight, but just about managed to remain upright. "See?" she said to the other parents.

"You two are crazy." Jen said after a pause.

"Not crazy, just tough." Alex replied as she swung the bag onto her back, swaying slightly.

"Look at you two." Dylan's father said proudly. "Off to see the world."

"We're crossing a river, dad, I've done it before."

"Not on your own, you haven't. It may not seem like much, but this is your first step into a grand adventure! Think of all the new experiences that await you." he said excitedly.

"You gonna start singing or something?" Alex mother said. She turned to the kids. "But he does have a point, this is a pretty major milestone for the pair of you, so don't waste it." Jen stepped forward.

"We'll see you to the bridge if you'd like." she said. Dylan and Alex both turned to look at the large bridge that stretched across the water near them.

"I think we'll be alright." Dylan said confidently. "Well then, we should be going. Alex?"

"Ready." she replied. Her mother walked over to her and hugged her tightly.

"You take care out there, Alex. And don't be afraid to come back home if it gets too much, okay?" she said.

"Mom, I'll be fine." Alex said as she pulled away from the hug. She looked over to Dylan who had finished saying goodbye to his parents. "I gotta go." she said as she began to walk away. The pair were soon walking along the shore, heading to the bridge, waving behind them as they went.

* * *

"Can we take a minute?" Alex said between deep breaths. The pair were now about two thirds of the way across the bridge. The city behind them had begun to shrink, while the forest ahead of them seemed to grow larger by the minute.

"Yeah, sure." Dylan replied. Alex instantly dropped her backpack to the floor and staggered over to the railings, staring down at the water far below.

"Sorry about this. This is a bit harder than I was expecting."

"It's okay. It is kinda hot today." Dylan said as he leaned against the railing next to her. "Plus, that bag probably doesn't make it any easier."

"You don't say." Alex replied. She turned and looked for moment at the road a few paces away from them, following cars as they sped past. "We could have gotten your parents to drive us over there."

"Yeah, we could have. But where's the fun in that?" he said with a shrug. He suddenly started waving to the water below them.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked as she looked down. Below them, a large boat was passing under the bridge. On the top deck, many people were gathered, all crowding one side to get a good look at the large city near them. A lone child stood apart from the group, waving excitedly to anyone she spotted on the bridge.

"Ahoy there!" Dylan called to her. The girl began to jump up and down excitedly. Alex smiled and gave a small wave. The continued until the girl's attention was caught by another person further down the bridge.

"See? Genuine human interaction. You wouldn't get that in a car, would you?"

"Fine. You win." Alex said with a sigh. "That was pretty cute."

"That's the sort of stuff we're missing out on when we're cooped up in Castelia."

"I've seen boats before." Alex said as she picked her backpack up again.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." Dylan replied with a chuckle.

"You know I'm joking." she said as she walked past him, elbowing him playfully. "Come on then." She called to Mareep who had been waiting patiently near them. "You too." She said glancing back at Dylan.

"You're lively all of a sudden." Dylan said as he began following her.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get this thing off my back."

"I could see if Blitzle could carry that for you." Blitzle let out a doubtful cry.

"I couldn't do that to the poor little guy. Besides, we're almost there." She nodded towards the forest in front of them.

"Oh yeah, we are!" Dylan began running towards Alex. "Just look at it! Look at the size of it!" he yelled as he reached Alex. "You could get lost for days in there!"

"Don't tell my mother." Alex muttered. Dylan laughed loudly.

"How did you manage to convince her to let you take on the gym challenge when she's so hesitant to let you sleep in a forest?"

"She understands that this is something most kids my age try, and that it's something I've wanted to do for a while." Alex replied. "But you have to understand that once I'm gone, she's in the apartment alone."

"Doesn't Damien leave the Pokémon he isn't using with her?"

"Yeah, but she never really has time to connect with any of them, and she never knows when he's gonna come and take them. I do feel sort of bad about leaving her, in all honesty." she hung her head. "Without dad, it was just her and us kids, and even since Damien left, it's just been the two of us."

"That's going to be hard on her." Dylan said. "But she's a tough woman, I'm sure she'll manage."

"She's been talking about moving back up to Undella for a few weeks while I'm gone, you know, just for some company. My grandma still owns that big house up there."

"Why did you guys ever move down here anyway? The way you talk about it, life seemed pretty good when you all lived up there. Why did you leave?"

"They never really told us why. I'd just assumed that dad had got a nice new job. Don't know why we didn't move back after the accident in all honesty. Mom wouldn't have had to work her ass off, and poor old grandma wouldn't be living alone."

"Didn't your gran have like a tonne of Pokémon living with her? You showed me a picture of you with that giant Meganium she had."

"Meganium passed not long after that was taken. Most of her Pokémon are gone now. Last I saw them it was just her and Herdier."

"Well this is a good opportunity isn't it? I mean if you're heading up to that area anyway, you could go and see her for a while. I'm sure she'd love to see you."

"I suppose so." she replied. "The route I have planned takes me through there anyway. I can spend a few days with her."

"You have a route planned out?" Dylan said in surprise.

"You haven't?"

"Of course not! I much prefer to follow my gut when deciding where to go next!"

"Calling it now, you're gonna get lost before you get to Nimbasa."

"Well maybe I'll head to Virbank first. It'll be harder to get lost if I'm on a boat!"

"I'm sure you'll find a way." Alex said with a giggle. "Speaking of getting lost…" The pair had walked down some steps and left the bridge. The forest stood grandly in front of them, only broken by the road that descended from the bridge. A few feet away from them, a small dirt path stretched into the darkness beneath the trees.

"This place looks a lot bigger close up." Dylan said in awe. "Kinda intimidating isn't it?"

"Neary!" his Pokémon called out suddenly from behind him. It ran towards the woods, stopping a few feet from the path, before turning and flashing a determined grin at its trainer.

"Someone's confident." Dylan said proudly. He glanced over his shoulder at Blitzle. "You ready too?" Blitzle let out a slightly hesitant cry. "Okay then, buddy, I'll walk in front. You two ready?" he said to Alex and Mareep.

"Always." she replied. "Right, Mareep?" the Pokémon looked up at her excitedly, letting out a joyful cry. "He's ready too." Alex said confidently.

"Shall we then?" Dylan said. Alex responded with a nod. The two began to march proudly towards the path. Buneary began to hop into the woods excitedly. Mareep stuck close to Alex's side. Blitzle trailed a few paces behind. The group was silent as they stepped under the canopy of branches. Only Buneary's cheerful cries broke the silence as they slowly began to disappear into the darkness of the forest.


	3. Chapter 3: Independence

"Keep quiet, Mareep." Alex said in a hushed voice. She and Mareep were crouched in a bush, at the edge of a large clearing. On the other side of the clearing, a small stream swept through the forest. Alex peered out of the bush. A small, blue Pokémon was wandering around the edge. "You ready for this?" she asked quietly. Mareep nodded in response. "Right then." Alex gripped an empty Poké Ball tightly. "Let's go." The pair emerged slowly, The Pokémon noticed them instantly, and began to stare at them. Alex hesitated. "Umm… Hey?" she said to the creature. "I really didn't think this through…" She muttered to herself. The creature took a few steps towards them, a sudden grin filled its face.

"Rill!" the Pokémon cried out. Mareep jumped in front of Alex.

"I guess that means you want to fight?" Alex asked.

"Marill-rill." The Pokémon replied.

"Mareep, is that a yes?" Mareep turned and nodded at her. "Okay then Mareep, use Thund-" she was interrupted as the opponent suddenly shot out a beam of water from its mouth. "Mareep, look out." Her partner didn't have time to react before being drenched. It stumbled backwards slightly. Its opponent wasted no time before curling up into a ball and rolling full speed towards Mareep. "Mareep, dodge!" Alex called. Mareep quickly rolled to the side, just as the blue blur sped past. "Thunder Shock!" Mareep shot a bolt of lighting at its opponent as it screeched to a halt. The small blue creature jumped to the side to avoid being shocked. It quickly turned a shot out more water. Alex suddenly had an idea. "Mareep, stay where you are and use Thunder Shock again!" Mareep looked at her hesitantly for a moment, but stood its ground. It shot another bolt directly into the oncoming torrent. Sparks began to spread through the water, quickly closing in on the wild Pokémon. The sparks eventually reached the Pokémon. The water stopped instantly, and the creature was shocked. It stumbled for a moment before shaking off the attack.

"Rill-rill!" It cried out confidently, before one again rolling quickly towards Mareep.

"Mareep!" Thunder Wave!" Alex cried. Mareep shot a wave of electric energy towards its foe. The Pokémon hit the wave, and stopped instantly. It struggled to its feet slowly, but sparks that appeared across its body seemed to be hindering it. Alex seized the opportunity and threw the ball she was holding towards it. It bounced lightly off of the creature's head. It was surrounded by a red aura, before vanishing into the ball. "Come on…" Alex said quietly. The ball shook on the floor several times, before it settled with a loud click. "Yes!" Alex called out as she ran towards the ball excitedly. "Well done!" She petted Mareep briefly as she ran past. She picked up the Poké Ball and held it up proudly. "I've always wanted a Marill!" she said. Mareep replied with a cheerful cry. Their celebration was cut short by a shrieking cry from some nearby trees.

"Scole!" an unseen Pokémon called out in a harsh tone. Alex shrieked and began scanning the treeline. Mareep scurried to her side. A pair of yellow eyes appeared in the darkness near Alex. She noticed and took a few steps backwards. The eyes began to approach, accompanied by large thumping footsteps that seemed to shake the ground.

"Stay behind me." Alex said to her partner. Mareep obliged and hid behind her legs. The creature in the darkness began to enter the clearing. It was a very large creature, much taller than Alex, with a serpent-like body.

"Scole!" It cried again as it approached. Alex continued pacing backwards nervously. Suddenly, the ball in her hand burst open. Marill appeared in front of her in a flash of light. It took a few courageous steps towards the attacking Pokémon.

"Marill, no!" Alex said. "Come back, you'll get hurt. You don't have to protect me." Marill ignored her and continued marching forward. The larger creature stopped and stared at it for a few seconds. It suddenly let out an ear piercing screech. Marill shuddered before turning and running towards Alex, jumping into her arms. "Thanks for trying." Alex said with an awkward smile. "We're gonna be fine." she said, looking around for a way to escape. "Okay, I'll ditch the bag, then we all jump the stream and run, okay?" she said to her Pokémon. She quickly glanced at the stream behind her. "Scratch that, I can't jump that." she said. Mareep began to shudder. "It's fine, we're all gonna be fine." A voice suddenly called from the trees next to them.

"Bibarel, Rollout!" A brown blur suddenly came flying out of the treeline, hitting the large  
Pokémon in the side, causing it to stagger. Alex looked over at where the blur had emerged. A tall man with tan skin came running out from behind a tree.

"This way!" he called, pointing back in the direction he had emerged from. Alex began to run towards him, but hesitated after a few seconds. The man sighed. "Look, I know I'm a strange man in a forest, but right now it's me or the Scolipede." he said, nodding towards the large Pokémon that was now back onto its feet. His Pokémon rammed into it again, sending it down again. Alex nodded at him and resumed running, dashing past the man into the trees. The man soon followed, his partner close behind him. Alex was still weighed down by her backpack, and the man was soon running beside her. "You okay?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yeah. Thanks for that."

"We're not out of the woods yet. Quite literally." he smiled to himself. "There's a clearing up ahead, we should be safe there." The pair continued to run in silence, occasionally staggering on the large roots that littered the floor.

* * *

"We're here." the man said as they broke into a large clearing. Both he and Alex leaned against trees, gasping for breath. She could get a good look at him now. He was a few years older than her, and quite a bit taller. His hair was nothing more than a brown mess, his fringe hanging over his emerald green eyes. He reminded her of Burgh, except with darker skin, and much less fashionable clothes. The man eventually spoke. "Did it get you at all? That Scolipede, I mean." he spoke with an unusual accent, one Alex hadn't heard very much before.

"I'm fine." she said as she bent and put Marill down. "Thanks." she said.

"No problem. I could hardly leave you out there to deal with that thing all on your own." he glanced down. "Are your Pokémon okay?"

"I think so." Alex replied. "What about yours?" she said, nodding at Bibarel, who had just caught up with them.

"He's fine. He's a tough cookie." the man said as he bent down and stoked Bibarel's fur. Alex took a moment to look around the clearing. A small cabin sat opposite them, surrounded by a large number of berry bushes. A small bird Pokémon was perched on the roof of the cabin, still oblivious of their arrival. "I'm Daniel, by the way." the man said, extending his hand.

"Alex." she replied, shaking his hand. The bird Pokémon suddenly noticed them, and began flying towards them.

"Dane-gerr! Dane-gerr!" it screeched as it approached. Daniel ran towards it, waving his arms.

"It's okay, Chatot! She's a friend!" he held his arm up, letting Chatot land on his forearm

"Dane-gerr?" it asked with a tilt of its head.

"No danger. Friend." Daniel replied slowly. "Sorry about that." He said to Alex. "She gets a bit jumpy sometimes." He turned back to Chatot. "Now, be nice."

"Hell-low. Hell-low." Chatot squawked at Alex.

"Good girl." Daniel said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a seed. He gave it to Chatot. "Very good girl."

"She's yours I'm guessing?" Alex asked.

"An excellent guess." Daniel replied. "Well now that you've experienced the welcome wagon, would you like to sit down for a bit?" He nodded towards a group of small rocks that were sitting around a small fire pit. "It's on a rock on the ground I'm afraid."

"That's fine." She said as she wandered over and sat on one. Daniel sat on a rock opposite her. He turned to Alex's partners, who were standing beside her.

"If you two are hungry, feel free to help yourself to some berries." The pair wasted no time before rushing over to a nearby bush and beginning to chow down some small blue berries that were growing there. Chatot soon joined them. Bibarel ignored the bushes, and wandered to its trainer's side. It laid down and closed its eyes.

"Someone's tired." Alex said.

"He gets tired out very easily. Saving you is the most exercise he's done in weeks." He laughed.

"So you live out here?" Alex asked, looking at the cabin.

"Indeed."

"Did you build that yourself?"

"No, no. I had some help with that. But when it comes to the actual living in it, it's just us four."

"Four?" Alex said, confused.

"Oh, of course. He's just hiding, is all." he whistled a small tune. As he finished, a nearby bush began to shake slightly. A few seconds later, a small Pokémon emerged. It was shaped like a mushroom, with two tiny legs. It was covered in small brown dots. It looked at Daniel nervously. "It's okay, Shroomish. She's a friend. It's safe." Daniel said warmly. Shroomish took a few tentative steps forwards.

"Hey there." Alex said gently. "Wait!" she said louder. "Is that a shiny?!" Shroomish jumped and hurried back into the bush. Daniel ran after it and knelt by the bush. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry." Alex said.

"It's fine, everybody reacts like that. Which is probably why the poor guy is so skittish."

"How did you ever manage to catch it if it's so scared of everything?"

"I didn't." he replied. "I don't catch any Pokémon, I just help them." he whistled again, trying to get Shroomish back out from the bush.

"Is there any way I could help?" Alex asked.

"No. He'll come out in his own time. There's no point in forcing it." he got back to his feet. "He's comfortable there." he sat back on his rock.

"So you help them then?" Alex asked inquisitively.

"I do my best, yes. Most of them just leave when I'm done, but some stick around. Like Shroomish in there." he sighed. "Found the poor guy in a market up in Driftveil. Locked in a cage behind some shady stall. I knew I had to get him out of there."

"So you stole him?"

"Technically, yes. But if you saw the state he was left in, I guarantee you would have done the same."

"What was gonna happen to him?"

"My guess? Sold off to the highest bidder. Pokémon like him fetch a pretty hefty price from collectors."

"That's terrible."

"I know. That's why I do my best to help out Pokémon like him." he paused. "But that's enough about me. So tell me, what is a young lady like yourself doing in this part of the woods all on your own?"

"Me? Well for starters, I wasn't out here alone. I came with a friend, but he insisted on splitting up for a while. For the adventure, as he put it. You can see how well that turned out." she said with a sigh.

"Wait, is your friend still out there?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Oh dear." Daniel said with concern. "It's getting a bit late, he really shouldn't be out there. Can you call him or something?"

"I can try." She pulled out her phone and dialled his number. She held it to her ear for a few seconds. "...Nothing. No reception." She said, now worried. She stood up. "Should we go and find him?"

"Calm down, it's fine. Chatot!" He called to his Pokémon. "What does he look like?"

"Well, he's about my age, a bit shorter than me…"

"Anything a bit more distinctive?"

"Flaming red hair."

"That's better. Okay Chatot, go and look for a boy with red hair okay." he plucked a bright red berry from a nearby bush. "Red, like this, okay? Get him to foll-ow." He said slowly and deliberately. Chatot squawked with a nod, before eating the berry and flying off into the trees. "If he's out there, Chatot'll find him."

"You're sure?" Alex said, concerned.

"Of course. She's never let me down yet. Now then." He said as he got to his feet. "You must be hungry after that whole escapade. I hope you like soup, because that's all I can cook."

"No, no, it's okay, I brought my own food…" She said, reaching into her backpack.

"Nonsense. It's really no trouble. I'll even make enough for your friend as well." Alex tried again to protest but he ignored her and vanished into his cabin.

* * *

A large pot had now been hung over the fire, and a soup was boiling in it. Daniel sat over it, stirring it occasionally with a large ladle. "Gym challenge, huh?" he said to Alex as he stirred. "Sounds like a pretty big task. How many have you beaten so far?"

"So far? None." Daniel laughed.

"So you and I are on equal footing then? Let me guess... Burgh first?"

"Good guess. Everyone from Castelia challenges him first."

"I know, I go over to watch his battles from time to time."

"You a big fan of battles?"

"I'm more of a fan of Burgh." he said, beginning to blush.

"Of Burgh?" Alex asked. Daniel hesitated before answering.

"I just like the way he battles. That's all. I'm just a big fan of bug types." he stopped talking and stared silently at the boiling soup for a few moments. "So, why did you choose to take on the gym challenge?"

"Why? Never really thought about it. It's just something a lot of kids my age do."

"Is that the only reason? Hiking across an entire region seems a bit extreme of a thing to do just because everyone else is doing it."

"Did you never do the challenge then?"

"Nope. Never felt the need to."

"Why not?"

"I was perfectly content just spending my days in the small town I grew up in. Just wasting away the days staring at the Wooloo as they rolled across the fields. Never having to rush, never having to worry about anything…"

"That sounds wonderful." Alex said. "Why did you ever leave?"

"I met someone. Long story short, I fell in love. Next thing I know I'm being whisked around the world in a grand adventure."

"What happened between you two?"

"Okay. Storytime's over." Daniel said, standing up. He looked up at the amber sky above him. It's getting late, Chatot should be back with your friend soon. As he spoke, a yell echoed from somewhere else in the forest. "That'll be them now." Dylan suddenly burst into the clearing, his partners running close behind him. They were soon followed by Chatot.

"Foll-ow! Foll-ow!" It squarked.

"Please. Just leave us alone!" Dylan called desperately. He hadn't noticed Alex or Daniel yet. "Stop following us!" He begged.

"Dylan!" Alex called.

"Huh?!" he responded. "Alex? You're here?" Chatot stopped shouting and perched on a nearby branch. "What? Why are you stopping now?" he asked. "Did you have something to do with this?" he asked Alex breathlessly.

"Technically, yes." Alex said. Dylan bent over and put his hands on his knees.

"That thing's been chasing us for half an hour."

"Why didn't you just follow her?"

"Why didn't I follow the weird squarking thing that was screeching at me in the middle of a dark forest? Are you hearing yourself?" He suddenly noticed the setup surrounding Alex. "You didn't have all _this_ in the bag did you?"

"Don't be stupid. This guy saved me and brought me here." she said, pointing at Daniel, who waved at Dyland awkwardly.

"Saved you from what?"

"Only a vicious Scolipede in the supposedly safe part of the forest you sent me to."

"Did you catch it?" Dylan said excitedly. Alex glared at him. "I'll take that as a no."

"If I may interrupt…" Daniel said nervously. "The soup's ready if either of you are hungry."

"Soup?" Dylan said. He turned to look up at Chatot. "If you'd have told me about the soup, I would've followed you."

"Doesn't take much to sway you, does it?" Alex said with a chuckle. She turned to Daniel. "But I agree, I could really go for some soup right now. Oh! This is Daniel by the way." she said to Dylan. "And this is Dylan." she said to Daniel.

"A pleasure." Dylan said with a dramatic bow.

"Likewise." Daniel replied. "Also, your Pokémon are welcome to help themselves to whatever berries they can find." Buneary and Blitzle both cried out in joy and ran to the bushes nearest to them. "Hungry little fellows, aren't they?"

"They've been on the run for half an hour, can you blame them?" the trio shared a laugh. They continued to talk as Daniel handed out bowls of steaming soup. Dylan soon took a seat next to the fire. The three talked for a while, gradually working their way through the large pot. By the time they had finished, the sun had almost set, and the sky was beginning to get dark..

"It's getting pretty late." Daniel said as they finished eating. "Have the two of you got something to sleep in? I assume you don't want to sleep in a stranger's house."

"Of course we have." Alex replied. She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a rolled up sleeping bag. "Is the ground here comfortable?" She asked, stomping briefly.

"It's the ground, Alex. It's not meant to be comfortable." Dylan said as he pulled his own bag out from Blitzle's pouch. "But we didn't come here for comfort, did we?" He and Alex soon found a spot where the grass was particularly long, and rolled out their bags.

"I hope you two don't mind, but I kind of need to get to bed." Daniel said awkwardly.

"That's okay." Alex said. "We'll be fine out here."

"Thanks for understanding." He swung the door of his cabin open, calling his Pokémon to come inside. Chatot and Bibarel rushed in, but Daniel stood by the open door for a moment. "You too, Shroomish. " He said. Shroomish peeked out nervously from its hiding place. After a moment's hesitation, it ran swiftly into the cabin. "Goodnight, you two." Daniel said with a wave as he entered the cabin, closing the door behind him. Alex and Dylan stood in silence for a moment.

"Y'know. For a strange man we met in the forest, he was surprisingly nice." Dylan said.

"Don't tell my mom I followed a stranger, please." Alex replied. "She'll go crazy."

"Your secret's safe with me." Dylan said with a grin. The pair soon settled into the sleeping bags. They both stared up at the star filled sky above them for a while, only speaking briefly every few minutes. Their Pokémon had all fallen asleep surrounding them. Only the occasional rustling in the bushes broke the silence. "Alex…" Dylan said in a hushed voice after a while. "You still awake?"

"No." Alex said with a yawn.

"Oh. Okay." Dylan replied. The pair sat in silence for a few more moments.

"Of course I'm awake, dumbass." Alex said suddenly.

"Oh. Good." He paused for a moment. "So how did you enjoy your first day out in the wild?"

"Apart from the part where I nearly died, it was pretty cool. Managed to catch a Marill and everything. Thanks for coaching me on the throwing, by the way."

"It's all in the shoulders." Dylan replied with a chuckle.

"I didn't even miss!" Alex said proudly. "It was all going so well until I got attacked. Y'know, in the area you swore was safe."

"I said I was sorry." Dylan said defensively. "Splitting up was probably a bad idea in hindsight."

"Ya think?!" Alex replied. The pair laughed. The pair were again silent for a few moments.

"So are you gonna challenge Burgh tomorrow?" Dylan asked.

"Tomorrow? Are you crazy?"

"What? I thought you wouldn't want to waste any time."

"Why would I do it right away? I think I'm gonna need a few days at least to recover from this whole forest thing."

"Why not go right away? You have enough Pokémon for it. Burgh always uses two if it's your first badge."

"Numbers aren't anything, Dylan. I'll need to do a bit of training first at least."

"I think you guys can handle it. I mean, you beat me first time. You'd barely even trained at that point."

"That was a fluke. No offense, but Burgh is a lot stronger than you."

"I beat him, he can't be that much stronger. Besides, the league's are only a few months away. We really need to get moving Alex sighed.

"Fine, if you're gonna be pushy about it. I'll do it the day after tomorrow. Is that soon enough?"

"There we go! Don't worry, I'll be there to cheer you on!"

"Even if I lose?"

"_Especially _if you lose. Wait. That came out wrong. I meant that I'll be there to cheer you up if you don't win." Alex laughed loudly.

"Good to know. Look, I hate to cut this short but I'm kinda exhausted."

"You gonna try and get some shut-eye?"

"Bingo." Alex replied. "Goodnight." she said.

"Goodnight." The pair went silent. Dylan stared up at the stars for a few more minutes, before his eyelids became too heavy to hold open, and he soon drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

"And here we are!" Daniel announced as he burst out of the forest. Alex and Dylan soon joined him. They had emerged close to where the pair had entered the day before, very close to the large bridge that connected them to the city across the river from them. "No matter how many times I see this, it never gets old." he said as he stared in wonder at the bridge.

"It _is_ a really nice view." Alex added.

"So you're fighting Burgh tomorrow right?" Daniel asked Alex.

"I should be, yes. Are you going to come and watch?"

"Sure. I'm always up for a good Burgh battle." Daniel said, clapping his hands together. "Before you cross, are you sure you've got everything?"

"I'm pretty sure I've got everything." Alex said, patting herself down. She reached the pair of Poké Balls attached to her belt. "Mareep and Marill, both here. You got yours?" she asked Dylan.

"I think so." He checked his own belt, where a lone Poké Ball sat. "Oh no." he said, suddenly panicked. "Where's Blitzle?" he asked. He looked around frantically for a few seconds. Blitlzle emerged slowly from the treeline. Dylan looked relieved. "Oh right, he walked."

"No offence, but how did you manage to survive in their if you can't keep track of a Blitzle?" Daniel asked.

"Being honest? It was more that my Pokémon looked after me than the other way around." Alex laughed.

"You're gonna die out there, you really are." she said.

"Quite possibly, yes. Remember me fondly, won't you?" he said in mock sadness.

"You two are awfully morbid sometimes, you know that?" Daniel asked.

"We know." the pair replied in unison. The conversation was interrupted by a small buzzing noise, coming from seemingly nowhere.

"Someone's phone?" Daniel asked.

"Not mine." Dylan said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Alex pulled her phone out of her backpack.

"It's mine." she glanced down at the screen. "Crap." she said as she answered it. "Hi, mom." she tore the phone away from her ear as a response was yelled loudly at the other end. "Mom, I am so sorry, I completely forgot. Yes, I'm fine. Yes, I promise. Okay, I'll come straight to you. Bye." She ended the call and put her phone away. "That was my mom, I forgot to phone her last night."

"Is she upset?" Dylan asked. Alex nodded.

"She sounded like she just had a breakdown. I really need to get home and see her before she gets any worse." She turned to Daniel. "I'm sorry about this, but we really need to go."

"It's fine, I understand." Alex and Dylan began to walk towards the bridge. "I'll see you tomorrow! And good luck with your mum!" He called as the pair began to ascend the stairs onto the bridge.

"Thanks!" Alex called back with a wave. "I'm gonna need it." she muttered to herself. The pair walked on in silence, their footsteps accompanied by the clicking of Blitzle's hooves as it trotted along happily behind them.

* * *

"So why was your mom so worked up on the phone? I could hear her from where I was standing." Alex and Dylan were now almost back into the city.

"I dunno." Alex replied. "She gets worried about me, I suppose. After what happened with Damien, I'm not surprised that she doesn't want me wandering off on my own without keeping in touch with her."

"She does know that most kids our age do this kind of thing, right?"

"I understand her, kind of. Imagine if the only one of your children you were still on good terms with one day up and decided to go roaming. I only decided to go like a week ago, was it?"

"About, yes."

"I feel kinda bad for just leaving her like that."

"Why? She's an adult, she can look after herself."

"That's not what I mean. I'm all she really has left."

"She has your Gran."

"She's her mother-in-law who lives half a region away. They're not exactly close."

"It's cruel, I know. But everyone has to leave home someday. You can't stay with her forever."

"I know, I know." Alex said. The pair were now descending a large staircase back into the city.

"Alright." Dylan said as they reached the bottom. "I'm going straight to the Sanctuary. I'm guessing you're going home?"

"An excellent guess." Alex replied. "I should hurry. We'll talk later and arrange a time to meet. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." Dylan replied. "I'll see you later then."

"See ya." Alex said as she began hurrying away into the crowd, heading vaguely towards the large apartment building she called home.

* * *

"Mom?" Alex said as she cautiously opened the door. "You in here?" She stepped into the apartment. Her mother stood staring out of the window opposite her, seemingly oblivious to Alex's entrance. "Mom?" she said again. Her mother turned around quickly.

"Alex.." she began to hurry over to her daughter. "Alex, I am so sorry." She hurried over to her daughter. "I am so, so sorry for shouting at you."

"Mom, you look tense. What happened?"

"Your brother happened. He showed up earlier."

"Oh dear. Did you two have an argument?"

"It was more him shouting at me. He got all heated again, took Spoink and Hariyama and left."

Alex sighed. "Of course he did. Which Pokémon did he leave this time?"

"He didn't have time before he stormed out. So I don't have anything to worry about for a while, which is kind of nice."

"At least he didn't break anything this time!" Alex said jokingly. She hesitated for a moment. "He didn't break anything, did he?"

"He came pretty close to breaking the door, but everything made it out alive this time. But that's enough about me." She began to walk towards the sofa. "Tell me all about your travels!"

"Mom, are you sure you don't want to talk about Damien?"

"We've talked enough about him before. I told you, dear, you shouldn't bother yourself with worrying about him. He's a lost cause." She sat down. "Now let's talk about _you_ for a change." She patted the seat next to her. Alex reluctantly joined her. "Go on then, run me through what happened."

"Well for starters, I have something to show you." She pulled Marills Poké Ball from her bag. It opened, and Marill soon appeared on the table in front of them. Alex's mother squealed with delight.

"Look at him!" She yelled. She reached out and patted Marill gently on the head. "Hello, little guy." Marill purred happily.

"Glad to see he likes you."

"I like him too. You know, your grandmother had an Azumarill when she was younger."

"I think I remember it. Didn't granny call it something like…"

"Bluebell. She named her Bluebell."

"That's the one." Alex replied.

"She is just going to melt when she sees you." Alex's mother said as she pinched one of Marill's cheeks. Marill replied with an indignant cry, before shooting a small jet of water back into her face. Alex's mother wiped her eyes. "He's a feisty one, isn't he?"

"You have _no_ idea. This guy threw himself in front of a Scolipede to protect me about five seconds after I caught him." The color suddenly drained from her mother's face.

"Scolipede? Aren't they those big, dangerous ones? The ones that attack people?" Alex didn't respond. "In the part of the forest you swore to me was safe?"

"I said _Dylan_ swore it was safe." Her mother began to scowl. "Look, I know I said this wasn't going to be dangerous, but you honestly can't expect me to travel anywhere without being ambushed now and again." Her mother held her scowl. Alex sighed. "I'm sorry. I know that you're going to say that I'm horribly irresponsible and that travelling the region is too much for me. But if I can survive a Scolipede with only a Mareep and a Marillm I'm pretty sure I can handle anything." Her mother stayed silent for a few moments, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Your father would be so proud of you right now." Alex sighed with relief.

"You're not upset?"

"How could I be? This sort of thing is exactly what I expected to happen to you."

"You expected me to possibly get hurt?" Alex asked.

"Not hurt, no. You're your father's daughter after all. He always told me stories about the ridiculous situations he got into when he was travelling. But he always managed to get out alright. How did you manage your great escape?"

"Oh, that." Alex replied hesitantly. "Some guy showed up and saved me. He took me back to his house and me and Dylan spent the night sleeping outside." Her mother looked at her skeptically.

"You followed a strange man into the forest."

"He wasn't strange. He was pretty nice. He's coming to watch me fight Burgh tomorrow." Her mother laughed.

"Only you could go into a dark forest and come out with new friends." She paused. "Hang on, tomorrow?"

"Do you think I'm rushing in too quickly?"

"Not at all, no. Your father only waited about three days since he started before he took on his first gym."

"He beat a gym after three days?!" Alex said, amazed.

"Well, no, he lost horribly. But you'll do fine, I'm sure."

"That really doesn't make me feel better."

"You said it yourself, if you can survive a Scolipede, you can do anything." She smiled suddenly. "Now that I think about it, Burgh must have one of them, right? Why don't you ask him to use it?"

"Let me guess, dad also asked a gym leader to send out their strongest for his first battle?"

"Bingo." she replied. "I don't know if you've ever seen a Totodile up against a Mamoswine, but I can tell you it doesn't end well."

"Whatever happened to his Pokémon after… y'know."

"They all live up with your grandmother? Remember that Gengar that kept scaring you?"

"I could never forget it."

"That was his. That one was always a prankster." The pair were silent for a moment.

"I really should stop by and see her." Alex said. "How long has it been since we visited her?"

"Let's see, you must have been about thirteen. Or was it fourteen? It's been years either way, so I'm sure she'd be happy to see you." she smiled at Marill. "Especially you." She reached to pinch Marill's cheek again. Marill growled and jumped into Alex's lap. "Okay, okay, I get the message." Alex chuckled. Her mother got to her feet. "Right then, I'm guessing you'll want some dinner?"

"I'm starving." Alex replied.

"How does a nice curry tonight, followed by leftover birthday cake?"

"Since when do you know how to make curry?"

"Jen taught me a recipe a few weeks ago. And I promise that I won't let it catch fire." Alex held up Marill.

"I think with Marill here we should be alright if you almost burn the apartment down again."

"Rill-rill." Marill cried proudly. Alex smiled.

"You're just looking for something to fight, aren't you?" She said to Marill.

"Okay, I know my cooking isn't the best, but it's not a threat to your safety."

"That remains to be seen." The pair laughed again.

"Are your Pokémon going to be having some as well?" As her mother spoke, the remaining Poké Ball in Alex bag burst open, and Mareep appeared on the sofa next to her. It jumped down and scurried over the kitchen area, where Alex's mother had begun to rummage through the cupboards for ingredients. Mareep sat and looked up at her expectantly. "Well." she said. "That answers that."

* * *

Alex laid in her bed, her room lit only by the dim moonlight streaming in through the window. Marill had fallen asleep next to her leg, and was snoring gently. Mareep was curled up next to Alex's head, and the pair were staring at each other. "You can't sleep either, can you?" Alex said.

"Reep." Her partner replied in a quiet cry.

"Yeah, I'm nervous as well. But you did well enough against Buneary, didn't you?" Mareep stared back silently. "You understand a lot more than you let on, don't you?" Mareep stayed silent. Alex chuckled. "I hope you're ready for tomorrow. It's a big first step for us." Mareep closed its eyes. Alex sighed. "You just want to sleep, don't you?"

"Reep." Her partner sighed in return.

"In that case, sweet dreams." She turned away from Mareep and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, you two."


	4. Chapter 4: Step One

"There it is." Alex's mother said. She and her daughter stood in a street with small trees lining the sides. In front of them was a large building. It was much shorter than the surrounding buildings, with large windows lining the walls. In the center were a large pair of glass doors. Above them was a large logo in the shape of a Poké Ball.

"I'm nervous." Alex said quietly.

"That's fine, dear. Everyone gets nervous on their first time. Your brother almost turned and ran just before we got through the front door." Alex reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue case. She opened it, and inside were eight small, thin, empty slots.

"I'm either coming out with an empty case or my first badge." Her mother reached over and closed the case.

"Don't you worry about that. Whether you win or lose, you'll come out stronger and more experienced than when you went in." Alex chuckled.

"Wow, mom. When did you become some kind of battling guru?"

"I'm just telling you the things my father tried to drill into me when I was younger and he wanted me to go out on a journey. He never changed my mind about not going, but at least his advice can help you in some way. Oh?" she said as she noticed a red-haired figure stood by the doors of the gym. "Looks like Dylan's here to cheer you on."

"Hey there!" Dylan called as if on cue. He ran up to Alex. "You look nervous." he said.

"I am." she replied. "Extremely nervous."

"I don't blame you. I've been here for a while and Burgh's already on a winning streak."

"Already?!" It's not even the afternoon yet!"

"I know it seems bad, but we can use this to your advantage. I know for a fact he's using his Dwebble and Heracross today."

"Dylan, no offence, but I only have two Pokémon. No matter what he uses I only have two to use" Dylan frowned.

"I guess I didn't really think this through, did I?"

"Wait, you stayed here all morning just to try and help me?" Dylan blushed slightly.

"Well, yeah I suppose so. I just wanted to make sure you would win is all. Besides, I'm not the only one who's been checking out the action." He nodded towards a large tree growing by one of the gym's windows. Daniel was leaning against the tree in the shade, gazing into the building, seemingly not aware of Alex's arrival. "He was here before me, and I'm not even sure if he's noticed I'm here yet."

"Hey! Daniel" Alex called suddenly. Daniel jumped as she called him.

"Oh, hello Alex." he said breathlessly. He put his hand to his chest."Sorry, you gave me a bit of a start."

"And who is this?" Alex's mother asked.

"This is Daniel. He's the one who saved me in the woods." Daniel began walking over to them.

"Oh, so you're the mysterious stranger. Thank you for saving my daughter."

"Oh, don't worry. It was no bother ma'am."

"Ma'am." Alex's mother repeated with a gleeful smile. "It's been a while since anyone called me that! Please, call me Dorothy."

"In that case, it was no bother, Dorothy. I was just doing what anyone else would have done."

"So, Daniel, what brought you here so early?" Alex asked.

"Oh, I knew I might have a lot of trouble getting Shroomish here. He just refuses to get in his ball, and I can't leave him alone in the forest. I had to carry him all the way here."

"Shroomish is here?" Alex asked.

"Of course he is. Isn't that right Shroomish?" he called to a nearby bush.

"Mish." a feeble voice called out in reply.

"He'll come out once he's comfortable enough. Anyway, I'm glad I got here early. The battles today have been fantastic."

"So I've heard." replied Alex. "I hear Burgh's on a roll today."

"Very much so. By the looks of it the challenger in there right now is already on the ropes." as he spoke, the group heard a distinct 'boom' from inside the building. "...and by the sound of it, it's over now."

Dylan rushed over to the nearest window and peeked inside. "Yep. Don't think they're getting up from that one." Alex grimaced.

"Okay, now I'm _really _worried."

"Now, now, there's no need to be so anxious, young lady." a voice said from somewhere behind Alex. She turned to see Dylan's father approaching her. Following behind him was a short woman, dressed in a suit jacket and and a black shirt that stretched down to her knees. She wore a pair of dark red glasses, and had black hair that was pulled up into a tight bun.

"Mr. Hutch?" Alex said as he approached. Why is your dad here?" she said in a hushed voice to Dylan, who was now standing next to her.

"I told him last night that you were taking on Burgh, and he insisted on coming."

"Why?"

"He has his reasons, you'll find out eventually. He comes and watches trainers all the time. With their permission, of course."

"I always think it's important to take an interest in the younger generation. So, Alex, would mind terribly if we observed you?" Alex hesitated for a moment.

"I don't have any reason to object to you and…" she said, looking towards the unfamiliar woman.

"Oh, this is Michelle. She's one of my employees down at the Sanctuary." Michelle nodded politely.

"Hey." Alex said with an awkward wave. She turned suddenly as she heard the doors behind her sliding open. A young boy emerged, with a disappointed expression on his face. He was closely followed by Burgh, who was seemingly trying to cheer the boy up.

"... so that next time you'll be more experienced. That's a nice way to look at it, right?" the boy thought for a moment, before nodding confidently.

"Yeah. Yeah you're right Mr. Burgh. Thanks for the advice!" he called as he suddenly began to run down the street."

"It's no problem. And good luck with your training!" Burgh called after him. "Hmm?" he said as he noticed the large group of people congregated in front of him. "My, my, Alex. This is quite the crowd you've managed to attract today."

"Yep. I'm here to challenge you."

"I know. Dylan over there already told me this morning. Oh?" he noticed Daniel standing with the group. "So you're the one he's been waiting for all morning. I _can_ see out of those windows, you know." he said to Daniel. Daniel's face suddenly turned red, and he turned away from the group. Burgh chuckled. "Well I suppose that it's best we don't keep the audience waiting. Would you all like to follow me inside?" He walked back inside, glancing back expectantly at the group. Dylan led the way, half-jogging inside. The rest of the group began to follow, except for Daniel, who didn't move an inch.

"I saw the way you were looking at Burgh just then." Alex said with a smirk as she passed him. Daniel tried for a few seconds to stutter out a response. "It's fine. Your secret's safe with me. I'll see you inside." she said as she entered the building. Daniel sighed.

"Come on Shroomish, let's get in there before I faint."

* * *

Alex and Burgh stood either side of a large battlefield, surrounded on almost all sides by a mess of trees and bushes, occupied by many small bug Pokémon. The small audience stood to one side. Daniel stood slightly away from them, next to a small bush, where Shroomish's face was poking out slightly. Michelle had pulled out a small notebook and pen, and was looking at Alex expectantly. "No pressure…" Alex muttered to herself sarcastically. A young man in a green shirt stood at the side of the battlefield.

"The Castelia Gym battle between Burgh the Gym Leader and Alex the challenger is about to begin." the man called suddenly. "This will be a two on two battle. The battle will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle." Alex's heart began pounding.

"You got this Alex!" Dylan called.

"Best of luck!" his father added, before leaning over and whispering something to Michelle, who began hastily scribbling on her notepad.

"Now then." Burgh said. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Alex said with slight hesitation.

"Alright then! I'll send out my Pokémon first." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small Poké Ball. As it grew to normal size, Alex noted that the top half was a dull blue, and seemed to be wrapped in some sort of netting. Burgh threw the ball high into the air, where it burst open. A net of light spread out from the ball, before vanishing to reveal a small crab-like creature, wearing a small rock as a shell. The Pokémon landed with a thud, looking determindley towards Alex, who then silently pulled one of her own Poké Balls out of her pocket.

"If we're up against a Dwebble first…" she muttered to herself. "Marill! You're up!" She threw the ball out across the battlefield. It soon burst open, sending out Marill with a shower of light. Alex picked the ball up as it rolled back towards her.

"Alex!" Burgh called. "You two get the first move." Alex nodded confidently.

"Marill! Start it off with a Bubble Beam!" Marill jumped up and sent a barrage of bubbles hurding towards Dwebble.

"Dwebble! Use Sand Attack!" Dwebble began to claw at the ground in front of him, sending a wall of dirt flying upwards. The bubbles collided with the wall, slowing them down, and stopping some smaller ones entirely. The few that made it through fell short of the opponent. "Follow that up with Smack Down!" Dwebble let out a determined cry, and a small rock appeared floating in front of it, seemingly from nowhere. With another cry, Dwebble sent the rock flying through the wall of sand.

"Marill, look out!" Alex called. Marill began looking around frantically, unable to see either the opponent or it's attack. The rock soon emerged, flying at a devastating speed towards Marill. Alex's Pokémon tried to dodge, but was clipped by the rock as it tried to run. The rock shattered, and Marill stumbled. "Marill! You okay?!" Her partner turned and gave her a confidant nod. Alex noticed that the barrier had begun to fade. "Okay Marill. Use Bubble Beam again!" Marill once again began to send a stream of bubbles towards Dwebble.

"Sand Attack again!" Burgh shouted. In an instant the wall appeared again, stopping Marill's attack. "Smack Down!" Dwebble began to charge another attack.

"Marill. Pay attention to where this one comes from." Alex said quietly. Marill silently nodded. A second later, the rock came streaming through the wall once again. "To the left!" Marill rolled quickly out of the way. "Dwebble's slow, it doesn't move much." Alex said to herself. "Marill! Bubble Beam one more time!"

"That isn't working..." Dylan muttered. "I hope she has some kind of plan."

"Dwebble, you know what to do." Burgh said. Dwebble soon threw up a wall to stop Marill's attack, and began charging up its own.

"Marill, get ready to catch." Alex said in a low voice. "It's gonna come from the middle."

"Rill, rill." her partner replied with a determined cry. The rock soon appeared. Marill stepped to the side, stretching its tail out. It wrapped its tail around the rock as it hit, barely managing to hold onto it.

"Okay Marill, use Bounce!" Marill's tail began to glow. Marill hopped up, and used its tail to spring into the air, high above the sand barrier.

"What?!" Burgh cried out in surprise as the small blue creature appeared above the wall.

"Now! Slam!" Marill began spinning wildly in the air, before releasing the rock, which sped towards its opponent.

"Iron Defence! Quickly!" Burgh called in a panicked voice. Dwebble quickly turned around and tuck itself into its shell, which began to glow a harsh grey. The rock soon made impact, sending Dwebble sliding across the floor.

"Write that down." Dylan's father whispered to his assistant.

"Nice one!" Dylan called out.

"Wow!" Burgh called out. "That move was simply astounding! Are you okay Dwebble?" Dwebble peeked out of its shell, seemingly unhurt.

"Dwebble-ble." It replied in a shaky voice.

"That shell…" Alex thought to herself. "Dwebble barely felt a thing." she thought for a moment, and suddenly a smirk stretched across her face. "Marill! Rollout!" she called out. Marill curled itself up tightly, before beginning to roll at a fantastic speed across the battlefield.

"Dwebble!" Burgh called to his partner. "Get ready to counter with X-Scissor." Dwebbles claws began to glow a deep green, and it held them up, ready to attack.

"Marill, switch to Bubble Beam." Marill stopped rolling, and launched yet another stream of bubbles.

"Quick Dwebble! Iron Defence!" Dwebble quickly turned around, and its shell glowed grey again. Marill's attack harmlessly bounced off it.

"Marill! Grab Dwebble!" In an instant, Dwebble's shell was wrapped tightly in Marill's tail.

"Huh?!" Burgh said in surprise.

"Rollout again!" Alex called. Marill once again began rolling around the battlefield at an impressive speed, this time with Dwebble in tow.

"Dweb-b-ble!" Burgh Pokémon cried out as it was spun around the battlefield. It held on for a few seconds, before being flung high into the air, separated from its shell. The now defenceless creature landed with a thud.

"Marill! Slam!" Marill stopped rolling and jumped into the air. With a twist of its body, Dwebble's own shell was sent flying towards it. Dwebble barely had time to look up before being hit. A cloud of dust spewed up from the ground.

"Dwebble!" Burgh shouted. As the dust began to clear, he could see Dwebble lying underneath its shell.

"Dwe-bble." it cried out feebly.

"Dwebble! Can you get up?" Dwebble crawled weakly back into its shell, and tried to push itself back onto its feet. It stood for a moment, before collapsing.

"Dwebble is unable to battle!" the battle judge called out. Dylan cheered loudly.

"Well done Marill!" Alex said. Marill replied with a proud smile.

"Thank you, Dwebble." Burgh said as he called his partner back to its Poké Ball. "That was a very impressive move!" he said to Alex.

"Thanks!" Alex replied, slightly embarrassed.

"That was one of the most impressive moves I've ever seen! Michelle, did you write all that down?" Dylan's father said. Michelle replied with a silent nod. "Excellent."

"Come on Alex! One to go!" Dylan shouted.

"That still means I'm only halfway done." Alex thought to herself.

"Alright then! Burgh shouted as he pulled out another ball from his pocket. "Come out Heracross!" he threw the ball high into the air. Just like Dwebble, Heracross burst out of a net of light, and landed on the battlefield. "Start off with Horn Attack!" The large horn on Heracross's head began to glow a harsh white, and the Pokémon began to charge towards Marill."

"Counter with Bounce!" Marill used its tail to launch itself into the air. It began to swing its tail towards Heracross. Marill's tail collided with Heracross's horn, stopping both Pokémon in their tracks. Marill fell from the air, landing in front of its opponent.

"Heracross! Use Shadow Claw!" the gym leader's Pokémon's hand was suddenly covered in a dark light. A second later, several sharp claws formed around it, and Heracross swung its am swiftly towards Marill. Alex's partner had no time to dodge, and was knocked backwards by the powerful swipe.

"Marill! Are you okay?" Alex called.

"Rill-rill." her partner replied as it pushed itself unsteadily to its feet.

"Okay then! Bubble Beam!" Marill launched its attack.

"Heracross, dispose of it with Arm Thrust!" Both of Heracross's arm's began to glow white. It began thrusting them forwards with a steady and forceful rhythm. Marill's bubbles bounced harmlessly off as it began to run towards Marill.

"Marill! Bounce again!" Marill soon sent itself flying towards its opponent once again.

"Switch to Megahorn!" As Marill approached, Heracross's horn glowed a bright green. Before the small blue creature had a chance to attack, Heracross swung its horn wildly. Marill was caught by one of the swipes, and was flung violently to the side.

"Marill! Get up!" Alex called. Marill tried for a moment to push itself up, but its arms gave way, causing it to fall again.

"Marill is unable to battle!" the judge called. Alex sighed.

"Thank you, Marill." she said as she called her Pokémon back into its ball. "Looks like it's one on one now…" she thought. She reached into her pocket and pulled out another Poké Ball. "Mareep! You're up!" she threw Mareep's ball, making her partner burst out in a ball of light.

"You got this Mareep!" Dylan called from the side of the battlefield. The sound of a Poké Ball bursting open came from Dylan's pocket. A stream of light burst out, and Buneary was soon standing next to him.

"Neary!" it cried out.

"Buneary agrees!" Dylan added. Mareep replied with a determined nod.

"Mareep! Charge!" Alex called. Mareep's wool began to glow, and after a few moments, it started to spark.

"Heracross! Use Horn Attack!" his Pokémon began to charge towards Mareep.

"Keep charging." Alex said. "Keep going for a bit longer." sparks of electricity began to shoot off from Mareep's wool. "Now use Thunder Shock." In a flash, Mareep sent a bolt of electricity flying towards Heracross. The attack hit Mareep's opponent head on. Heracross stumbled slightly as the attack shocked it, but soon shook it off and kept running.

"Mareep, get ready to dodge!" Alex called as Heracross approached. Mareep braced itself.

"Hera!" its opponent called out suddenly. As it cried out, it suddenly staggered, and sparks suddenly appeared across its body.

"Paralysis…" Dylan's father said quietly. "Lucky. Unless…" As he spoke, Heracross let out a loud cry, and the light from its horn seemed to glow brighter. He leaned over to Michelle. "The Heracross has Guts. Write that down."

"That's not good…" Alex said without thinking. Mareep looked back towards her with a concerned expression on its face. "Don't worry, we can still do this. Try using Iron Tail." Mareep nodded, and jumped into the air. Its tail suddenly turned a harsh grey. It swung its tail around, slamming it into Heracross's horn. The attacks collided with a loud thud, and both Pokémon were launched backwards. "Cotton Spore!" Alex called as Mareep landed.

"Reeeeeeep!" her partner cried as it began to curl up. With a sudden jolt, Mareep sent several puffs of wool flying at Heracross.

"Shadow Claw!" Burgh called. Heracross once again created several shadowy claws on its arms, this time seemingly much bigger than the first time. As the puffs approached, Heracross swiped at them, tearing them apart in the air.

"Charge!" Alex called. Mareep's wool began to glow.

"Heracross! Prepare to attack!" Heracross began running towards Mareep.

"Mareep. Use Cotton Spore again." Mareep once again launched its wool towards Heracross.

"Get rid of it with Shadow Claw!" Burgh suddenly noticed that the puffs of wool surrounding his partner were sparking with electricity. "Huh?! Heracross! Hold on a moment!" His calls were too late, as his Pokémon had already begun slicing through the puffs. As it did, each one seemed to discharge a spark. In an instant, Heracross was encased in a prison of sparks. It let out a pained cry as it began to take damage from the sparks surrounding it. Burgh and the watching audience gasped.

"Charging up the wool first…" Dylan's father said in disbelief. "Michelle…"

"I'm already writing it down." the woman replied with barely concealed amazement.

"Mareep. Finish off with an Iron Tail!" With a determined cry, Mareep began charging towards Heracross. It leapt up as its tail began to glow grey. As the creature entered the prison of sparks surrounding its opponent, its tail seemed to become charged, and it too began sparking. As Mareep slammed its tail into Heracross's body, the surrounding electricity discharged across the battlefield, kicking up a cloud of dust.. The battle judge jumped backwards, and the trainers shielded their eyes. The audience stood in stunned silence.

"That was…" Dylan said after a moment.

"...insanely powerful." Daniel finished the sentence from behind him. Michelle silently continued writing.

"Mareep…" Alex said.

"Heracross…" The pair of trainers waited anxiously as the dust began to settle around their Pokémon. When the dust cleared, the outcome was clear. Heracross was lying on the floor, with Mareep standing calmly in front of it. The judge scanned the scene over for a moment before yelling.

"Heracross is unable to battle! Therefore the victory goes to Alex, the challenger!" he shouted, holding his arm out in her direction. Alex stood speechless for a moment.

"...I won?" she said after a moment. "...I won!"

"Victory!" Alex heard Dylan calling from somewhere. She suddenly saw him sprinting towards her. He threw his arms around her. "Alex! Alex! Alex!" he chanted as he jumped up and down. Buneary bounced over to Mareep and hugged it proudly. Mareep let out a sheepish cry.

"Excellent work, Heracross." Burgh said as he called his Pokémon back into its ball. "A marvelous performance, Alex!" he said as he clapped his hands together. "Simply astounding." Alex's mother enthusiastically joined Burgh's applause.

"That's my girl!" she said proudly. Alex began to blush.

"I think you're embarrassing her." Daniel said.

"I'm her mother, it's what I do." Dorothy replied, followed by a whoop of delight.

"That was a fantastic battle!" Dylan's father shouted. He turned and whispered to his assistant. "Did you get all of that down?"

"As best I could, yes." she glanced down at the notes she had made, grimacing as she noticed how untidy they were. "I just hope I can actually read these later."

"Now then, Alex." Burgh announced over the noise. He began to walk towards the centre of the battlefield, as the battle judge walked towards him, holding a small box with its lid removed. Dylan and Buneary quickly left the battlefield, continuing their cheers from the sidelines. Alex walked nervously up to Burgh. Burgh took the box from the judge and held it towards Alex. Inside was a small green badge, shaped vaguely like the wing of a bug Pokémon. "This is the Insect Badge, proof that you were able to defeat me." Alex reached into the box and pulled the badge out shakily.

"T-thanks." she said. Dylan and Buneary began cheering louder. Alex pulled out a badge case from her pocket. She opened it.

"Hold on!" Her mother called from the sideline. She was fumbling with her phone, trying to take a picture. "Almost… Okay, go ahead." Alex smiled awkwardly as she fitted the badge into the first indent in the case. She felt a sudden surge of pride in herself. She noticed Mareep staring up at her.

"We did it, Mareep. We did it!" She put the case in her pocket and picked Mareep up, and started swinging it around wildly. "Go us!" From the edge of the battlefield, her mother let out a warm sigh.

"Just like her father…"

* * *

"Your mom makes a mean lunch, you know that?" Dylan said to Alex. The pair were walking down a bustling street somewhere in the city.

"I know. She has her flaws, but she really knows how to pull out all the stops when making a victory feast. My dad and her used to do it all the time whenever my brother won an important battle. The last one must have been about nine years ago I think."

"How do you remember stuff from that long ago? You must have been, like, seven."

"I don't really remember the feasts themselves, but I do have a vivid memory of throwing up after I ate too much." She looked over to Dylan, who had a disgusted look on his face. "Sorry. Was that too much?"

"Very much so. That's an image that's going to stick with me for a while. Hmm?" he said, glancing at a small cafe across the street. "Isn't that the weird forest guy?" Daniel was sitting outside of the cafe, gorging himself on a large sandwich. Shroomish's face was poking out from under the tablecloth.

"Yeah, that's Daniel. Hey! Daniel!" She called. Daniel looked around in confusion. Alex glanced both ways down the street before jogging across. "Over here!" Daniel finally saw her.

"Mmm…" He tried to speak through a mouthful of bread. He chewed for a moment before swallowing with some difficulty. "Alex. Hello. Apologies for the mouthful."

"What are you still doing here Daniel? I thought you were going home."

"Are you that keen to get rid of me, are you?" Alex started to stutter out a response. Daniel laughed. "I'm joking, I'm joking. I was heading home, but then I realised it's been ages since I actually had a meal that wasn't soup or berries. A sandwich doesn't seem like much, but when you live in a forest this kind of thing is practically gourmet. So, where are you two heading off to?" He nodded to Dylan, who had just caught up to Alex.

"Me and him are heading out to see his dad at work. Said he had something he wanted to show us, whatever that means…" she glanced over at Dylan.

"Don't look at me. I'm just as clueless as you. I can't figure out what my old man has planned most of the time. Heck, I don't even know how he ended up in charge of the Sanctuary.

"Your father works at the Sanctuary?!" Daniel blurted out suddenly. "That giant conservation place, right?"

"That's the one." Dylan replied. "I can see if he'll let you in, if you want."

"Really?" Danile said with a sudden spark in his eyes. "I've always wanted to visit, but they always turn me away at the door."

"Yeah, my dad's weird like that. I've only ever been in there a handful of times myself. But I'm sure he'll let you in with us."

"Thank you so much!" Daniel suddenly scoffed down his sandwich. He dashed inside of the cafe, and practically threw some change at the waitress inside. He came back out, and picked up Shroomish from underneath the table. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Someone's keen." Alex said.

"Well, I didn't want to keep you two waiting. Is it obvious I'm kind of excited?" He said as the group began walking.

"Considering you almost broke the door and practically assaulted that waitress with your money? It's kinda obvious." Dylan replied. "I only wish the actual staff there were half as keen as you are."

"Maybe we can see if they're hiring." Alex added jokingly. "You got any references?"

"Shroomish seems to like me. Isn't that right?" He said to the creature he was cradling in his arms. Shroomish stayed silent. "You wound me sometimes, you know that? He's just upset that I made him leave his bush."

"I think he'll be alright once we get to the Sanctuary. A lot of the Pokémon there get nervous in strange areas." Dylan said.

"I have to say. Your father really is an impressive man to be in charge of a place like that. I don't know how he could possibly find the time to go out and rescue the amount of Pokémon he has in there." Dylan shrugged.

"I don't know where he finds them in all honesty. He rarely leaves the city as far as I know."

"Maybe he has his staff go out and look for them?" Alex suggested.

"I doubt it." Dylan replied. "There aren't that many people working there. I think it's just Michelle and about seven others."

"Michelle?" Alex said. "Wasn't she the woman taking down notes during my battle. What's her deal?"

"No clue. My dad's always really secretive about what goes on in there. I keep asking him about how the heck they get the funds to run a place like that, but he just keeps brushing it off."

"You don't think your dad might be involved in shady dealing or something like that, do you?" Alex asked.

"Nah. You've met my dad before, he's not the kind of guy who could be part of something shady without messing it up tremendously." The group rounded a corner, and Daniel gasped. In front of them was a large building. It was a two story building, much wider than it was tall. It sat alone, a large pathway circled it, separating it from the rest of the city. The outside walls were a harsh grey, completely blank apart from occasional words painted on the wall in yellow paint, simply reading: Sanctuary. On the roof sat a large glass dome.

"This place has changed since I last saw it." Daniel said in shock.

"Dad made some pretty big changes about a year ago. Said it was something to do with tightening security after someone tried to break in."

"One break in attempt? And that was enough to get him to remove all of the windows?"

"Like I said, the old man really doesn't like people going in without permission." Daniel eye's eyes shifted to the large glass doors at the front of the building.

"I see he kept the automatic doors though."

"He did." Dylan said as the doors slid open for them. "But I guarantee that if there was an emergency there'd be a massive metal door or something that would slam down and cover it."

"So if we hear an alarm, stay well away from the doors? Got it." Alex said. The group walked in. They entered a long, thin room. The room was almost spotlessly white. Michelle sat at a large desk opposite them. On her left there was a large window, looking into an equally plain corridor. On her right was a large metal door which was firmly shut.

"Hello Michelle." Dylan said as they approached the desk. Michelle didn't look up from her computer screen as she reached her hand to a small device in her ear.

"Mr Hutch, your son and his friends are here." She paused for a moment. "Yes, friends. Yes, plural." She paused again. "Because there's more than one, Mr Hutch, that's why."

"I brought someone else along." Dylan said. "Tell dad that."

"Dylan said he brought someone else along." She paused yet again. "Yes, it's a security risk but it's at your discretion. Okay then, if that's your decision. Understood. He's on his way." She said to the group. Daniel let out a small squeal of delight. Michelle glanced up at him with a mix of confusion and disgust on her face.

"Sorry." He said. "I'm just excited." Michelle silently turned back to her computer screen. The group stood awkwardly for a few moments, each of them hoping someone else would break the silence. The tension was broken when Mr Hutch sped past the large window, startling the group. A few seconds later, the large metal door slid up into the ceiling, and Mr Hutch stepped out.

"Welcome, welcome. You're slightly later than I was expecting you, but that's fine." He turned to Daniel. "You're the young gentleman who was watching Alex, aren't you?"

"This is Daniel." Dylan answered. "He's that guy from the forest I told you about. The one who takes care of Pokémon in need. I said you'd let him in to have a look inside."

"Did you now?" His father replied. He looked Daniel up and down. "Technically, I shouldn't be letting you in. Y'know, security concerns and all. But if Dylan trusts you…" he glanced towards his son, who nodded. "...Then I suppose I trust you as well. Follow me." He turned and hurried through the door. Dylan's group followed. They walked in silence for a few moments, down a long, empty corridor. Every few steps, they would pass large doors, identical to the one they had just passed through. Alex eventually broke the silence.

"Mr Hutch…"

"Please, please." he interrupted her. "There's no need for formalities. Call me Roberto, or Robert if you prefer. But not Robbie, I can't stand being called Robbie."

"Okay then, Robert. Why exactly did you ask us here?"

"An excellent question." he said as the group arrived at another, larger door. "I will answer your question shortly. But first…" he said as he typed into a small keypad just next to the door. As he finished, the door disappeared upwards, and bright light shone in. Beyond the door was a small field. Lush green grass grew all over. Several small trees were scattered about, each with a handful of small Pokémon crawling about in them. As the group walked in, they noticed a large pond on one side, being filled by a stream of water trickling down from the wall that surrounded the small garden. The pond eventually morphed into a stream that stretched across the room, flowing under the wall of the other side, A small wooden bridge crossed the stream just in front of the group. Above them, sunlight was streaming through the large glass dome on the roof of the building.

"This is incredible." Daniel said. As he spoke, Shroomish jumped from his arms and ran to a nearby bush, quickly hiding itself inside. Roberto raised an eyebrow at Daniel. "He's very shy." he replied awkwardly.

"You brought us here to show us this?" Alex said as she looked around.

"Well, yes, but I also brought you here so I could…"

"RANT!" A shrill voice called from somewhere in the room. The group looked over at the pond. Inside a small blue bird Pokémon was thrashing about wildly. Roberto rushed over to the pond. "Calm down Cramorant! These people are okay!"

"CRAAAAAM! CRAAAAAM!" The creature screamed again. It flapped its wings wildly, and suddenly sprung out of the water, and sped towards Daniel. He tried to back away, but seconds later the Pokémon was perched on top of his head. He staggered slightly under the weight. Roberto laughed loudly.

"That means she likes you!"

"Please tell me she's house trained. This is a new shirt."

"It's a white shirt, it'll be fine." Dylan said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad you're enjoying this." Daniel said.

"Robert." Alex said. "Is the only reason you brought us here is to have your Cramorant mess up our shirts?"

"Oh, no, no. Of course not. I suppose it's time I told you why we're really here." He put his hand up to a small device in his ear. "Pierre, could you send Charlie in? Thank you very much." He began to walk towards a door on the opposite side of the room. As he approached, a quiet tapping noise seemed to emanate from beyond the door. The door slid open, and a Pokémon emerged. It looked much like a human. A moustache, a small lump on its head resembling a hat, and feet that resembled shoes that clicked loudly on the ground with each step. It was holding a cane which was glowing, and two Poké Balls were floating either side of it.

"Rime. Rime. Rime." The creature said cheerily as it walked along.

"Thank you, Charlie. Now if you could unlock the door please." Charlie began tapping towards a large rock sat a few paces away from the pond. Alex stepped back slightly.

"What's up?" Dylan asked her.

"It has a face on its stomach. Don't you think that's a bit creepy?"

"Alex, that's Charlie. He's perfectly fine."

Alex sighed. "Fine. But if that stomach face winks at me, I'm gonna scream." As they spoke, Charlie reached the rock. The rock suddenly began to glow, and began to rise into the air. Beneath it was a small sheet of metal, with a small hole in the centre. Charlie walked towards it. When it reached the hole, it shoved the cane it was holding inside. A loud click echoed from somewhere, and Charlie stepped backwards. The boulder floated slowly back to the ground.

"What the?" Alex said as she felt a rumbling beneath her feet. A section of the floor across the stream from her suddenly began to rise. In seconds, an elevator had appeared from the ground.

"Fancy." Dylan said. "Can we get one of these at home?"

"Who's to say we don't have one already?" His father said with a smirk as he entered the elevator. "You two coming down?" He turned to Daniel. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stay up here."

"Sorry Daniel, we'll try to be quick." Alex said apologetically as she passed him.

"Please do. I don't know how long I can stay like this." Alex flashed him an apologetic smile as she got into the elevator. Dylan entered after her, soon followed by Charlie, and the mysterious floating Poké Balls it was controlling. The doors slid shut, and the elevator slowly vanished underground, leaving Daniel alone in the room above.

"Actually, let's not get one of these." Dylan said as they descended. "It's kinda cramped in here." As he spoke, the doors swung open, revealing a giant room. "...Never mind."

"Excuse me." Roberto said as he sidled past his son. He began to walk quickly towards the other side of the room. As Alex and Dylan exited the elevator, it became clear that the large room was in fact a large battlefield, similar to the one in Burgh's gym. Charlie walked out of the elevator behind them. The doors slid closed. "Now then... " Roberto was now on the other side of the battlefield. He turned around. "I have a little challenge for you two." A dark smirk spread across his face.

"Does your dad seem a bit weird today? What's going on?" Alex asked Dylan quietly.

"No clue. He has been acting a bit too friendly today, now that you mention it." He replied.

"If you two want to leave here…" Roberto said as he pulled two Poké Balls from his pocket. He threw them high into the air. A few seconds later, two identical, purple, humanoid Pokémon appeared on the battlefield in front of him. "...You're gonna have to defeat us!" Dylan chuckled.

"Was this whole thing a ploy just to battle us?" He asked.

"Maybe, maybe not." His father replied.

"Now I see where you get your eccentricity from." Alex said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Dylan replied with a smirk. "So, do you reckon we could take him on?" Alex looked nervously at the opposing Pokémon.

"We're up against a pair of Machoke. Honestly? I don't think we stand a chance." She smiled at Dylan. "...But when did we ever let that stop us from trying something?"

"I like the way you think. Dad!" He called across the battlefield. "We only have one thing to say to you…" He looked at Alex, who nodded. The pair called out in unison.

"Bring it on!"


End file.
